The Scorpion: A Tragic Love Story
by WriterFreak001
Summary: REVISED. AU. Rated T for suggestive themes. Major Waige. Though this story is inspired by Titanic, it is a separate entity from the movie. The characters are different, and the story line, save for a few major plot points, will not follow the pattern of the movie. Chapters 1 and 2 posted.
1. The Ship of Dreams

**I decided to go back and edit / re-write certain scenes in this story I'm not exactly proud of so please take note that this story will be somewhat different than the original I posted. My reasons for re-writing this story have mostly to do with writing myself into a corner that I'm unable to find my way out of so if you've read most of this story before, I hope you will take the time to re-read it, and if you haven't read** _ **The Scorpion**_ **before, then I invite you to sit down, relax and enjoy!**

 **Note: Several suggested for me to revise all of my current chapters first before posting them, but as you know, I've barely done anything towards the revision in months (otherwise, the revision would have been done months ago). That being said, I will post the first two revised chapters tonight and work on revising the next two this week. I hope to have all of the current chapters revised by the new year. I apologize for the wait. Thank you for being patient.**

 **For now, I will leave the old version on my account until I've caught up, but please bear with me while I revise this story. I hope you're in for the long haul.**

 **The rewrite will be entitled: "The Scorpion: A Tragic Love Story" because a FFN author cannot have two stories under the same title.**

* * *

 **Title** | The Scorpion: A Tragic Love Story

 **Story Type** | Alternate Universe loosely based on the motion picture, _Titanic_ (1997).

 **Description** | REVISED. AU. Major Waige. Though this story is inspired by _Titanic_ , it is a separate entity from the movie. The characters are different, and the storyline, save for a few major plot points, will not follow the pattern of the movie. I could tell you more about this story, but then that would ruin the fun of reading it and finding out what happens yourself! ;)

 **Rating** | This fanfiction will be rated M for language, sensuality and death.

 **Some EXTRA Notes:**

In the previous version's first chapter, I included a list of the Scorpion characters in lieu of the characters in _Titanic_. I decided to remove that list and write the story as if you've never seen the movie before. :) Please note that the "present day" portion of this story takes place in 1996 just like the film.

* * *

 **Chapter 1:**

 **The Ship of Dreams**

 **~ S** **CORPION ~**

Slowly, she hovered her palm over the long, forgotten relics neatly laid out in front of her and closed her weary eyes as old, painful memories from her youth suddenly surfaced from decades of deep submersion. The soft strings of the viola… the violin… the cello… the bass… resonated inside her mind as his gentle, loving face smiled from her past and kissed her once soft, plump lips. She brought her long, frail fingers to her cold, wrinkled cheeks as she remembered the way his lips would feel against hers… how he would feather hot kisses along her slender neck, and how she would weave her hands through his thick, dark curls.

Remembering him and the way he loved her unconditionally unlocked an incredible amount of feelings she hadn't felt in many, many years, and if she could go back… if she could return to that one night and hold him in her arms again and kiss him and love him once more before everything was twisted and shattered and ripped away from her, she would.

She would always want to return to him.

Her weepy eyes fluttered open, and she spotted the silver tortoise shell mirror her mother had given her on her eighteenth birthday. Carefully, she wrapped her fingers around its handle and marveled at its intact beauty. "This was mine," she spoke quietly as she held the back of the mirror out in front of her. "How extraordinary. It looks the same as I last saw it." Then, she turned the mirror over and stared into its cracked glass. She frowned, not knowing what she had been expecting after so long.

"The reflection, though, has changed a bit..." Tenderly, she placed the mirror down on the cushioned table and picked up the next artifact. "My mother's brooch…. Such an ugly thing… I was surprised when she had tried to go back for it… Caused quite a fuss, actually." Remembering the often-crude ways her mother had treated her, she found the emotional strength within her to smirk. "Oh, the irony."

And then she saw the small butterfly comb she had worn in her once honey-colored, silky hair the night she had given _him_ her everything…. She held it in her hands with delicacy as the comb unlocked more repressed memories.

She was going to run away with him... She was going to leave her fiancé and marry him and live out her whole life with him. There was so much they had planned to do together once they were far away from her family…, but fate had other plans in store for them.

Nothing, after that night, was ever the same.

"Mrs. O'Brien."

Her son helped her turn around towards the man (she couldn't remember his name) who had originally asked her to board this vessel floating in the middle of the Atlantic, and the frail, elderly woman forced a gentle smile. "Please call me Paige."

He nodded. "Paige?"

She glanced at her son and then to What's-His-Name before responding. "Yes?"

With a hopeful smile, he leaned forward slightly. "Are you ready to go back to _Scorpion_?"

She inhaled a deep breath and slowly nodded her shaky head. "As ready as I'll ever be."

The man (Oh! Why can't she remember his name?!) led her and her son to another room and then nodded over to a coworker. "Lewis is going to show you an animated analysis of how _Scorpion_ drowned in April of 1912. If any of it makes you uncomfortable, please let us know, and we'll shut it off immediately."

"Mom," her son placed his palm over her shoulder and by the tone of his voice, she could tell he was concerned, "are you sure you want to go through this? You don't have to, you know? These men," he paused briefly, "will understand if you decide to back out."

Silently, she nodded and patted her son's warm fingers before prompting Lewis, the hairy, burly man, to begin his presentation. Though she listened and was curious of the analysis, she was unimpressed with the man's insensitive delivery. There were a few times, she was sure, her son had wanted to intervene and correct the man's verbiage on the scientific terms just by the way he had his arms crossed and was tense throughout the analysis, but her sweet Ralph kept still and listened quietly as he leaned on his cane.

She was so grateful her son agreed to attend this little vacation with her, but he wasn't as young as he used to be and without his cane, he could fall as easily as she. Yet…, despite Ralph's age, he had a young heart and loved the beautiful life he built with his wife, Sarah; his children, Anna and Sean; and his grandchildren. She smiled at the memory of holding her first great grandchild for the first time… _if only…_ Paige blinked away her tears and refocused her attention onto the presentation, determined not to cry in front of her son and these strangers.

She had cried for many years after Ralph was born, wishing his father could be around to witness the tiny miracle they created… Their son's fetus shouldn't have survived the stress she went through during and after the ship's wreck, but he did, and even though his father didn't…, Paige would forever be grateful to him… for saving her life… for keeping her as warm as possible even though he was freezing… for preserving their child's life…. If she could go back again and live that moment over, she wouldn't change a thing no matter how tragic the experience was.

Their child lived… and has lived well for 85 years.

She would be forever grateful to her son's father, and she had never taken the family they created for granted. She loved each and every one of their descendants and spent as much time with them as she could. Falling in love with Walter Patrick O'Brien had been the best thing that had ever happened on that ship, and she didn't regret a single moment spent with him.

She had a feeling, a tiny one, that she would be seeing him again someday soon.

(But that's her little secret.)

Once Lewis was finished with his analysis, Paige straightened her back and inhaled a deep breath as Ralph took a seat next to her. She took her son's hand and squeezed it gently as she offered the bearded engineer a somewhat impressed grin. "Thank you for that _fine_ forensic analysis." Ralph scoffed a little, and she tried not to laugh. "Of course," she continued in a clipped tone but kept her smile. "The experience was somewhat less clinical."

The nicer, more sensitive man knelt in front of her and quietly asked, "Will you share it with us?"

She first looked at her son, and then directed a nod towards the men in front of her. Perhaps it was time for people to know the truth of whom she really was…

Carefully, Paige pushed herself out of her wheelchair and wobbled over to one of the screens featuring footage of _Scorpion_ in ruins below. Ralph offered to help her stand, but she assured him she was okay, so he relaxed against his chair but kept full alert in case she ended up needing him after all.

She closed her eyes for a moment and allowed her mind to drift her back to _Scorpion_. Ghostly music waltzed into her mind as she vaguely recalled officers shouting, "Women and children only!" as everywhere swarm of hysteria echoed everywhere. She immediately covered her eyes and wept quietly into her palms as the memories became too real for her.

"I'm taking her to rest," Ralph was on his feet in an instant, placing his palms on her shoulders to guide her back to her wheelchair.

Paige took a step away from Ralph and shook her head violently. "No!"

Everyone, including Ralph, grew quiet and stared at her in dead silence.

Eventually, the kinder man spoke again. "Mrs. O'Brien."

"Paige," the elderly woman reminded the young man as she sat back down in her wheelchair and folded her fingers on top of her lap. "Please call me Paige."

He smiled and nodded. "Paige, please tell us what happened?"

Ralph took Paige's palm in his, and she brought the back of his hand to her lips, kissing it gently to assure him, once more, she was all right. The elderly woman let in a deep breath of air and released it slowly as she turned to look at the footage of the ruined ship once more. "It's been 84 years…"

"Just tell us what you can," the man smiled, encouraging her to continue.

She blinked at him and pursed her lips as she quirked up an eyebrow. The sass from her younger years seemed to have resurfaced, and she gave the man a small, impatient smirk. "Do you want to hear the story or not?"

Everyone else, even her Ralphy-boy, snickered at her prissy attitude as the man – she really had a hard time remembering his name – awkwardly closed his mouth and silently prompted her to continue.

"As I was saying," she rolled her eyes a little playfully and leaned back in her wheelchair, "It's been 84 years, and I can still smell the fresh paint. The china had never been used, and the sheets had never been slept in." She then smiled as some of her happier memories came to life around her. " _Scorpion_ was called the Ship of Dreams, and it was. It really was…."

* * *

 **April 10, 1912**

A slender, white-gloved hand gracefully took the driver's palm as it's owner – a young, beautiful woman with flowing honey-brown hair and piercing hazel eyes – stepped down onto the pavement below. She smiled softly to her chauffer, quietly thanking him for his aid before tipping him with a few coins. She then dallied for a short minute and observed the masses of people gathered along the port of Southampton while bidding farewell to their loved ones.

It must be nice being part of a family who loved each other more than money. If only she could have had that….

Various people, from first class to third class, were lined up to board _Scorpion_ , the fastest and largest ocean liner of the century. As her mother called for her attention, she ignored the prude woman for one more moment and gazed at the colossal vessel through her long lashes, studying its incredible features. She lost herself for a few moments, taking in the size and beauty of the _Scorpion_ , but when her incorrigible mother and her incredibly smug fiancé joined her in admiring the steamer, Paige pretended not to be impressed and rolled her eyes dramatically as Drew, the man her mother was forcing her to marry, casually touched her back.

 _The nerve!_ Without a word, she stepped away from him and continued stoically gazing at the ship as though she was unfazed by its grandeur. She forced a frown and sighed loud enough to feign boredom and un-excitement. When Drew turned towards her, she pointed her nose into the air and squinted towards the ship as if to scrutinize it. "I don't see what all of the fuss is about," Paige clucked her tongue for added effect. "It doesn't _look_ any bigger than the Mauretania."

"You can be blasé about some things, sweet pea, but not about _Scorpion_. It's over a hundred feet longer than Mauretania, and far more luxurious." He grinned much wider than he needed, and she wanted to vomit. Repeatedly. "It has squash courts…, a Parisian café… Even Turkish baths!"

' _Nothing I haven't seen before…'_

Not wanting anything more to do with Drew today, Paige shook her head and rolled her eyes before placing as much distance as she could between herself and Drew. She walked off to examine the ship's grandeur elsewhere. The last thing she wanted was to deal with Drew's arrogance this morning when she was still – mostly – in a good mood. In spite of Drew's materialistic description, she did agree with him on _one_ thing, but he didn't need to know that.

As much as she would like to prove her fiancé wrong, _Scorpion was_ _indeed_ much larger than the Mauritania, but could the vessel really be more luxurious? She really doubted it.

Paige could still hear Drew's annoying voice talking to her mother, and she clucked her tongue and pursed her lips, just tempted to roll her eyes one more time this morning. Drew just didn't know when to shut up. His presence was the first of many things she wasn't particularly looking forward to during this trip, but since he had paid for their travels, she had no choice but at least _pretend_ to like him a little more than she did. At least, that's what her mother wants her to do…

But, if she could have supported herself on her own, she would have stayed in Southampton and let her fiancé and mother leave for America without her. Anything to escape the life she was bred to live.

"Shall we go, darling?"

Drew suddenly approached her from behind and hooked his arm around hers ever so casually. If her mother wasn't looking, she'd slap him for being presumptuous and careless of her feelings. She knew that he knew she didn't like strolling publicly with him, but he, as always, was too proud to care about anybody other than himself. Perhaps he _did_ care for her in his own way, but Drew had a strange and peculiar way of showing it. As did her mother.

She forced a tight smile and nodded, but she held her tongue to avoid confrontation.

Without looking back, Paige Dineen allowed Drew to lead both her and her mother to the boarding docks. Ignoring her fiancé's chatter, she secretly gazed at the deep black leviathan, wondering what the Good Lord would have in store for her as she made her way inside the Ship of Dreams.

Or rather, the slave ship taking her back to America in chains.

* * *

Walter O'Brien stared intently at the hand of cards in front of him and carefully gazed at each of the men sitting around the table. He couldn't afford to lose now. He and his friend, Toby, were far too invested in winning those White Star Line tickets to give up. He needed to win. No, he _had_ to win. Not for himself (well, mostly for himself), but for his sister, Megan. If he didn't win those tickets, he might never see her again, and Toby would never forgive him for losing the one chance they had of returning home.

One card could very well choose his fate, and if he didn't, by some stroke of luck, receive the right one, he and his friend would be mortally screwed.

Toby eyed him suspiciously, and he silently encouraged him _not_ to make a stupid gambling mistake, but Walter _had_ to take the risk against the odds. "Hit me again, Sven," he said quickly and quietly.

Toby's eyes popped open. "Are you freakin' kidding me?! I know gambling, O'Brien, and you're going to lose all my money!"

Walter ignored Toby's rant – as usual – and slipped the new card into his hand. He inwardly smirked and stoically looked about the table of people again. "The moment of truth," he glanced at the Swedes and added, "Somebody's life is about to change."

Toby gritted his teeth and revealed his poor hand of cards as the Swedes did the same. Walter, however, chose not to reveal his just yet. "Looks like Toby's hand's a bust. Olaf…," Walter tsked quietly, "It seems the odds weren't in _your_ favor either." Walter met Sven's eyes and then the Swede's hand. "Sven…. Oh, _oh_ , oh, that's unfortunate," he frowned. "Two pair." He pursed his lips and groaned. "That's _definitely_ unfortunate." A long-awaited smirk slowly colored his lips. "For _you_." His smirk grew ear to ear when he suddenly slammed his hand down on the table and exclaimed, "Full house!"

Toby's hands gripped his hair and jumped with excitement as he screamed and laughed in the Swedes' faces. Walter, though really excited he was actually going to America, contained his enthusiasm as Toby celebrated.

"You!" Sven grabbed Walter's shirt and aimed his fist at him before turning and ramming his knuckles into Olaf's nose. Walter scrambled away and dusted off his shirt as the men continued brawling on the floor.

"I can't believe you did it, Walt!" Toby exclaimed as he hugged him unexpectedly. Walter froze and pushed his friend off him. "I'm goin' back home! And when we get to America, we're going to be the richest sons of bitches there ever was! Oh," he paused and quickly added, "and your sister, too."

"No, mate!" The pub keeper called out to them and pointed towards the clock as they heard loud whistles echoing across Southampton. " _Scorpion_ go to America! In five minutes."

"SHIT!" Toby exclaimed as Walter immediately grabbed his sketchbook and their tickets before both scampered out of the pub towards the thickening sea of people as _Scorpion_ sounded its final warning whistle.

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 **I hope you enjoyed the first revision. :) Please let me know what you think. I hope I'm not boring you because you've read some of this story before.**


	2. First Glance

**WriterFreak001:**

 **If you're reading this note, it means you've survived the first chapter of the revision. YAY! That means so much to me to have you reading my new version as opposed to my old version. :)**

 **For those of you who loved the old version, I promise I won't change it too much, but I felt like the story was rushed in a lot of places so I'm going to draw it out a little bit more. Please don't hate!**

* * *

 **The Scorpion**

 **Written by WriterFreak001**

 **Chapter 2:**

 **First Glance**

 **~ S** **CORPION ~**

The first night on the _Scorpion_ was incredibly and undeniably dreadful, but the next morning was absolutely the worst! Not only did Paige have to suffer through her fiancé's stabs at her taste in art as she instructed the staff where to mount her favorite pieces, but she also had to endure through another boring, uneventful dinner while her mother gossiped with other first-class passengers. She laughed and howled and bragged about silly nonsense, making Paige want to continuously gag and vomit, but she could barely move a finger without bringing attention to herself. Both Drew and her insufferable mother had tried, multiple times, to engage her in their ridiculous conversations, but she stayed as quiet as a mouse and droned out the chatter around her.

A little while later, just to spite her mother, she lifted her cigarette and lit it carefully before casually and uncaringly smoking its fumes.

"You know I don't like that, Paige," her mother said sternly without looking up from cutting her meat. "Smoking indoors and in the company of others is highly disrespectful."

"Don't be a nag, Mother. I'll do what I want." Paige flashed a knowing smile and continued with her cigarette. She was not going to let her mother rule her life every single moment of the day. She could take a drag if she wanted to. Her mother wouldn't dare cause a scene in front of her friends.

Out of nowhere, however, Drew immediately whisked her cigarette away, stubbed it out and laughed loudly before nodding to the waiter. "We'll have the lamb. Rare, with a little bit of mint sauce." He turned to Paige and smirked, "You like lamb, don't you, sweet pea?"

Paige dramatically rolled her eyes as a distinguished, Italian, middle aged man raised an eyebrow at her fiancé. "Are you going to cut her meat for her too, young man?"

Drew scoffed at the older man and withdrew his arm from Paige's shoulders. She mouthed a small 'thank you' to the Italian, and he winked in return. He then turned his direction towards Mr. Elia, the managing director of the White Star Line, and flexed his large knuckles. "So, who came up with the name, _Scorpion_? Was it you, Richard?"

Richard Elia smirked as if he was expecting someone to ask him that. "I wanted a name that conveyed power and size and durability. Nobody wants to mess with a scorpion, so the name seemed to fit."

Paige looked up from her food and blinked at Richard Elia, "Do you know of Dr. Freud, Mr. Elia?" She waited a beat for him to respond, but he merely shook his head. She slyly grinned. "His ideas about male preoccupation of power and size might be of some interest to you."

"My God, Paige," her appalled mother snapped. "What's gotten into you?!"

Before Paige could answer, the Italian snorted, and Richard frowned, giving the other man a glare. "Have something you'd like to say, Mr. Cabe Gallo?"

Cabe rose his hands in mock defense and shook his head, but his smile did not disappear. "Nope. Nothing at all."

"Excuse me," Paige abruptly rose from her seat, unwilling to give her mother a straight answer. She just couldn't, anymore. No matter what she would say to either defend or explain herself, her mother never listened, and Drew would always laugh at her. They made her feel stupid and belittled, and she was done. So done with them. Swiftly, she walked away, wanting to escape that sickening atmosphere as soon as possible. To hell with them. They could sink in their riches and spoils for all she cared.

Paige was tired of living a lie her mother imposed on her, and she wanted out! Effective immediately! She didn't want to live this fraudulent life anymore; the more her mother pressured her, the more she wanted to scream.

But what was the point when nobody would find the time and day to listen to her?

Paige Dineen was drowning in a world she didn't want to live in, and she was alone in it.

* * *

"Hey," Walter softly knocked against a door and smiled brightly as his older sister, Megan, immediately stopped folding laundry and exhaled a quiet gasp. The sheet fell from her hands, and she bolted out of the laundry room and threw her arms around him. The weight of her enthusiasm sent them both flying across the hallway.

Megan chuckled as she helped her baby brother back to his feet before giving him a much gentler hug. She could, perhaps, be the happiest woman alive right now. "I can't believe you made it!" Megan squeezed Walter's face with excitement before wrapping her arms around him again. "You had me so worried!"

"I'm not sure why you let yourself worry. Didn't I tell you I'd find a way on this ship?" Walter asked, honestly. He hadn't seen her in almost three months since he found out she was employed by the White Star Line to assist a first-class family during their travel to America. He stepped back to look at her. "You look good… Is the family you're serving treating you well?"

"Of course, they are," Megan swatted at her brother's arm. "What kind of question is that?"

Walter shrugged. "A question."

Her face suddenly softened as her eyes found his face for what seemed like the first time that afternoon. She frowned. "Walter… you're thinner than usual…"

"I am?" He honestly hadn't noticed.

She nodded. "Let me grab you something to eat from the kitchen." She started towards the elevator but, Walter reached for her wrist.

"I'm fine, Megs. Truly," He forced a grin. "I just… I haven't been eating much. But don't worry about me," he smirked, flicking the tip of his nose with his thumb, "I've been pretty well fed since I boarded the ship."

"Okay…, if you say so," Megan cocked an eyebrow, unsure if she actually believed him. Deciding to drop the subject for now, Megan switched topics. "So…," she smirked, "How was England? Did you meet anyone special during your trip?"

Walter shrugged slightly. "England is everything I've seen before, and no. I didn't. Not really, at least," he added as an afterthought, remembering that one woman, Janice. They had a short fling, but it didn't last more than a few days because he was more interested in designing his inventions than sleeping with her. They didn't even move past first base. "You know me, Megan. 'Meeting someone special,'" he curled his fingers in the air, "is just not something I'm interested in right now. My inventions… my ideas… they come first."

"I know, but… I worry about you, Wally…" Megan bit her bottom lip as she reached for her brother's hand and squeezed it. "Promise me, no matter what, you won't give up on falling in love. I'm sure you'll find someone someday…," Megan smiled warmly as she reached up with her free hand and caressed his cheek. "Anyway," she straightened herself, "as much as I would _love_ to spend more time with you, I have to get back to work. The family I am assisting can be a little demanding."

"I hope they aren't keeping you too busy. You need to take care of yourself." Walter covered her hand with his and wrapped his fingers around hers. "If you ever need me to pose as a butler or something, let me know. I don't mind helping if you need me to run weird errands for you."

"That's sweet, Walter, but it's fine. I'm fine," Megan smiled softly. "The young woman I'm mostly working for is unlike the other first-class passengers. She doesn't treat me like I'm beneath her."

Megan took a step back from her brother and moved to pick up the material she had dropped. Folding it, she mischievously added, "She's really quite the gem, Wally."

"You say that about every woman you'd like me to meet," Walter rolled his eyes dramatically. However, even if his sister was trying to play matchmaker, he did wish to know who this woman was so that he could properly thank her for treating his sister with kindness. If only he wasn't in third class… But out of curiosity, Walter couldn't help but ask, "And what is this young woman's name?"

Megan cocked an eyebrow and grinned. "Paige Maria Dineen."

Walter nodded, committing every syllable to memory. _Paige Maria Dineen, such a beautiful name…_ He might not be able to meet her in person in order to extend his gratitude, but perhaps… perhaps he could write to her… Perhaps he could give Megan a small note to Miss Dineen, requesting a private meeting… She must know how appreciative he is… Walter mentally smacked himself. A letter?! _That's a stupid idea, now that I think about it. If I gave Miss Dineen a note like that, I'd surely be arrested._

"Paige gives me simple tasks," Megan continued to explain, shaking Walter out of his thoughts. "What's even more spectacular and bizarre if you ask me is that she has even offered to help me clean and fold. She also let me off early last night so that I could get a good night's rest. Truly," the eldest sibling grinned, "I've never met anyone like her before! She's a real blessing. Especially compared to the last lady I served."

Megan suddenly smiled at the memory of Paige lending a hand to clean up a mess her fiancé had made. "I have a feeling we will be great friends. She even lets me call her by her first name without a title. Not to mention, Wally, she has a strong passion for art, unlike her unruly and harsh fiancé. I don't like her fiancé by the way;" she quickly added, "he's absolutely rude to her and doesn't care for her feelings one bit, and by the way she rolls her eyes at almost everything he says, I'm pretty sure she doesn't like him either." Megan placed the now-folded sheet she had picked up and gently smoothed it over the other laundry. She couldn't help but smirk at her brother, and he gulped audibly. He knew _exactly_ what his little matchmaker of a sister was going to say. "I think you'd like her, Wally."

"She does sound like an interesting young woman," Walter muttered as he shifted his feet a little. His sister's eyebrows lifted, indicating she could hear him, so he spoke up and added, "Be that as it may, you're forgetting that I'm a third-class young man, and she's first-class lady. The odds of us ever meeting are infinitesimal let alone scandalous."

"True…," Megan slightly frowned. She really wanted her brother to experience love because she knew it was an amazing feeling… to love and to be loved in return… She prayed every night that her brother would find someone special; he really deserved it.

Walter quietly chuckled and squeezed her hand again. "Don't worry about me, Megs. I know what you're trying to do, and while I appreciate your valiant efforts in trying to set me up with an undoubtedly beautiful woman, I'm fine the way I am. Really."

"I just don't want you to die alone, Wally," Megan sighed as swung their arms side to side, her fingers still squeezing his. "It's unfitting, and the O'Brien name deserves to be passed on to the next generation, and you," she poked her finger at the inventor's chest, "are the only one who can continue the family line."

Walter scrunched up his face and shrugged as he pushed away from the door frame and clipped his notebook underneath his arm. "Who knows, maybe the O'Brien line will die with me."

Megan rolled her eyes and placed her hands on her hips. "One of these days, Walter, I'm going to acquaint you with a beautiful woman, and you'll be _begging_ to take back those words." She picked up the laundry basket she had been filling and added, "Now, if you excuse me, I have some beds to make.

Walter stepped away from the door and shoved his hands into his pockets as his sister – with the basket in her hands – weaved through the opening before turning left. "Do you need any help? I can carry those for you."

Megan craned her head towards him and flashed a brief, appreciative smile. "Thanks, Wally, but it's against the rules, and both of us could get in trouble if I let you carry anything belonging to a first-class family. Even if you pose as a butler. With your usual bad streak of rotten luck, they might think you're stealing from them."

"Well it's a good thing I don't believe in luck, then." Walter chuckled softly as his older sister sighed in dismay. "But… I'd rather not get you in trouble, so I'll see you around, okay?"

"Don't be a stranger, Wally," Megan winked. "I don't want to wait months to see you again."

"Don't worry," Walter smiled softly and gave her a brief hug, "You won't."

"I better not," Megan laughed as she carefully strolled down the hallway towards the elevator. Walter stayed where he was just long enough to make sure she wasn't going to drop anything and then, with a spring in his step, he pushed away from the door and swiftly headed towards the stairs leading to the poop deck, hoping to acquire some inspiration for a new invention.

…

He had been sitting on a bench along the railing of the ship for many minutes, oblivious to the world as he buried his nose into his notebook and sketched out a new idea to aid in industrious businesses.

"You know," Toby crossed his arms, capturing the inventor's attention, "as much as I applaud you for being capable of drowning out the world while voyaging on the world's fastest, largest ship, I think you should close your notebooks for a while and just enjoy everything this ocean liner has to offer. You're not an old fart, Walt; you're a young guy like me who deserves some fun."

Walter inhaled a deep breath and released it slowly as he carefully closed his notebook and gave his friend a pointed look. "You know me, Toby. Once I have an idea, I can't stop until I've written out everything it entails."

"You're stopping now," Toby smirked, and Walter rolled his eyes, shaking his head in disdain.

"The only reason I've stopped is because you're bothering me," Walter scoffed.

"Good," Toby plopped down next to Walter and grinned ear to ear, "Then my plan worked."

Walter avoided looking at Toby and added more focus to his notebook. "Just… give me five minutes. I should have everything written down by then."

"You could have finished a drawing of a naked woman in five minutes," Toby retorted, receiving another eye roll from Walter.

"I don't draw naked women," Walter frowned with pursed lips.

"But you used to…," the American shrugged and then gave Walter a wink. "I've seen the back pages of your invention sketch book, O'Brien. You can't hide anything from me, you know that."

"It…" Walter looked away as if he was embarrassed, "It was a long time ago. No need for any comments. Now if you're done here, I'd really like to finish jotting down my idea before it goes away."

Toby rose his hands in mock defense. "Fine. Fine. I'll leave you to your inventions, but _promise_ me – _please_ promise me – you'll do _something_ other than work while you're on this ship. I don't care if you have a spitting contest or get laid. Just _something_ other than work, okay?"

"Are you done now?"

"Only if you promise me you'll close your book after you're done with your invention idea." Toby pursed his lips and lifted an eyebrow as Walter sighed loudly.

"Fine. I promise," the Irishman huffed.

"Don't think about going behind my back, Walt. I've got eyes _everywhere_." Toby threw his hands about and began walking backwards. "And I mean, everywhere."

Toby spun around on his toes and trotted away as Walter absentmindedly flipped his sketchpad back open, but he didn't have a mind anymore to continue writing. His eyes swept over his surroundings after Toby left, and he spotted a beautiful woman overlooking the sea.

Immediately, he was mesmerized by her. She had honey hair pinned in a net of neat curls below her bright yellow hat, and her matching yellow dress complemented her figure wonderfully. She was leaning over the railing of the top deck, taking off her gloves, one by one, before tossing them away from her. She then took off her outrageously large hat, briefly held it in her hands, and then, like her gloves, she flung it away from her, seemingly not having a care of where it went. Walter, though he struggled with reading people, could tell she was upset about something, and even though he had no idea whom this woman was, he wanted to know her story.

He wanted to know everything about her.

She inhaled a deep breath and sighed softly before she turned slightly and caught him staring at her. Her dark, long lashes fluttered at him, and his mouth involuntarily parted, sucking in air slowly, as she pinned her bottom lip underneath her teeth. He mindlessly licked his lips, and, as if in response, her deep, red lips faintly opened.

But then a man came up to her, touched the small of her back and whispered something, prompting her to leave with him quickly.

And just like that, as she strolled away without ever looking back at him, the magic was gone.

* * *

 **WriterFreak001:**

Chapter 2 finally re-written!

Please let me know what you think of this new version.

I'm really wanting to continue this story so please bear with me while I continue to revise each chapter.


	3. First Encounter

**WriterFreak001:**

 **Original note:** The layout of the _Scorpion_ might be a bit different than the _Titanic_ purely because I don't have all the resources available to me to use the exact layout of the ship. IF you are a Titanic expert, feel free to consult with me via PM! :)

 **THANK YOU to everyone who submitted nice reviews for my first two updated chapters, and I'm super glad you're enjoying the remake! That makes me very happy. :D**

 **One major change:** **Bruce Ismay (a character in the movie) is no longer in the story. His character has been replaced by Richard Elia. Lol. I don't know if I mentioned that in Ch. 2.**

 **Also, I don't know if I made this clear in the last version, but Walter & Megan speak with Irish accents. The only reason I haven't changed the dialogue to fit the dialect is because I don't want to botch it up. Please suspend your disbelief. ^_^**

 **On another note, there is something I feel like I need to address, but I'll leave that for the end. The story is more important anyway. ;)**

* * *

 **The Scorpion**

 **Written by WriterFreak001**

 **Chapter 3:**

 **First Encounter**

 **~ S** **CORPION ~**

Paige's heart was thumping wildly, madly, _insanely_ inside her chest as her fiancé guided her away from the deck, but he wasn't the reason why she was clutching her chest. Who _was_ that young man? And why was he watching her as if she was the only person on the ship? Paige flushed deeply, wondering if she would ever see him again. From first glance, he was incredibly, ruggedly handsome with fierce, coffee-colored eyes; thick, curly, black hair, and had a darker complexion. It was hard to see his facial features from a distance, but she couldn't but feel like she knew him somehow. His eyes… they seemed so familiar, yet so unfamiliar. She doubted she ever met him before, but somehow, someway, she recognized him.

If Drew hadn't found her… she didn't know what she would have done. Part of her wanted to keep watching this mystery man from afar, but the other part would have been tempted to find her way down to third class to search for him. And if she _had_ done that, how would he have responded? Would he look for her too?

Paige involuntarily sighed, saddened by the fact that she would most likely never see him again. He was third class. She wasn't. They might be sharing the same voyage to America, but they lived in two different worlds.

Who was she kidding?

"Is… Is something on your mind, Paige?"

The young woman fluttered her eyelashes as she snapped her attention to her maid, Megan, and smiled softly even though it didn't reach her eyes. "Oh, nothing particularly too important."

Megan was silent for a little while as she combed Paige's hair, preparing her for the evening dinner at the dining hall. Eventually, though, she bravely spoke up and said, "I'm a good listener… if you really want to talk about it…. I promise I won't say anything."

Paige hesitated at first but then eagerly grinned at the idea of having a confidant. Growing up, she didn't really have time for friends, and anybody she _was_ friends with were people associated with her mother's connections. She didn't _dare_ tell them anything personal; gossip tended to spread like wild fire among the wealthy. "Well," she bit her bottom lip and began fidgeting with her fingers, unable to stop herself from blushing deeply. "If you must know… I sort of met a charming, handsome man today… I… I can't seem to stop thinking about him."

"Oh?" Megan suddenly thought of her brother and smirked as she gently worked on detangling Paige's honey-colored hair. "Do you know his name?"

"Well, no…," Paige shook her head slowly and laughed nervously. "We didn't actually speak…. I, uh, I saw him staring at me while I was outside, catching some fresh air. There was just… something about his eyes… that intrigued me. He had so much intensity in just the one gaze, and though I don't even know him, I feel like I already do. Drew has never looked at me in the way this man was, and I felt…," she paused and giggled quietly, "This is going to sound strange and highly arrogant, but… it was the first time, in a very long time, I felt… _desired_." Paige covered her hot face from embarrassment. She pulled two of her fingers apart to see Megan's reaction. "I sound ridiculous, don't I?"

Megan merely smiled. "No, you don't. But may I be direct?"

Paige nodded slowly.

"Do you think, perhaps, you feel that way because you don't feel desired by Mr. Baker? That maybe this young man is somehow filling that void for you?" Megan waited a beat, hoping she didn't insult her employer.

Paige was quiet for a moment but then nodded. "I think you might be right, Megan. But still, it's a really nice feeling, and," she winked playfully, "I definitely don't mind it at all."

Megan silently instructed Paige to stand so that she could tighten her corset. "What does he look like?" Megan asked as she began lacing Paige's porset, hoping she would end up describing her brother.

Paige opened her mouth to speak, but a loud tap sounded from the door. "Paige, darling, are you almost ready? We need to leave for dinner soon."

Paige sighed and closed her eyes, wishing for Drew to disappear. Flatly, she said, "I'll be out shortly. Please escort my mother to dinner; I'll follow as soon as I am ready."

"Are you sure, my sweet angel?"

"Yes. Please." Paige called to the door, glad there was a solid surface between them so she wouldn't have to see the arrogant, smug expression he's more than likely wearing. "I know you enjoy impressing her."

"If you insist," Drew replied almost instantly as if her suggestion had been his own epiphany instead of hers. She stayed silent for a few seconds until she was sure he was gone.

"Good riddance," she muttered under her breath and then turned to Megan. "Between you and me, I dislike my fiancé very much. He's way too rich for his own good, and I have a feeling his finances will be his downfall one day."

"If you dislike him so much," Megan swiftly tugged on the strings of the corset, and Paige inhaled a sharp breath of air before quietly grunting, "Why did you agree to marry him?"

Paige shrugged before Megan tugged on her again. "I didn't. Marrying Drew has always been my mother's idea, and because my wants don't seem to matter, I have no choice but to respect her wishes."

"If you ask me," Megan muttered as she mindlessly, giving Paige one more short, tight pull, "I think your opinions matter much more than you think. Anyone who oppresses you doesn't deserve you."

Paige quietly snorted. "Easier said than done…. There's a lot of pressure being a woman, and if society doesn't change," Paige let out a breath of air when Megan finished fastening her corset before floating over to her dresser and putting on her earrings. "oppression will damn well destroy womankind. At the end of the day," she sighed, "it doesn't matter how we think, feel, or want. No one ever cares."

"You should visit the third class sometime while you're on the Scorpion; I assure you, your outlook on life will be very different." Megan grinned as she draped Paige's pearls over her neck and fastened them.

Paige scoffed. "Fat chance of that ever happening. I can hardly escape from my mother and Drew's clutches. I'd be lucky if I had even five minutes to myself outside of our suite."

"Just think about it, and if you ever need help, feel free to ask. I'd be happy to assist you in any way I can," Megan gave Paige a thumb's up, and she slowly grinned. "Anyway, you're ready for dinner; shall I call for someone to escort you to the dining hall?"

"No, no," Paige waved her hand and shook her head as she stood up. "I'll be fine. Thank you, though."

"You're welcome."

* * *

"Ah, it's so lovely being rich. I can't wait for the _Scorpion_ to make the headlines! It'll be grand, I'm sure." Richard Elia sneered as he twirled the ends of his mustache. "What do you think, Patrick?"

"Oh, I'm quite sure the _Scorpion_ will prosper in everything, including the newspapers." He turned to his daughter, Happy Quinn, and grinned proudly. "Isn't that right, Happy?"

Happy nodded gracefully. "Yes."

"Miss Quinn is a woman of many words," Richard chuckled at his own joke, resulting in both Happy and Paige rolling their eyes.

Abruptly, Happy stood up and pushed her chair back with a not so quiet screech. "Excuse me. I'm suddenly not hungry anymore. Since _Dick_ is such a glutton for many things, maybe he can stuff his face with my share instead."

Almost everyone's mouths dropped open in response to Happy's comment, but Paige and Cabe both snorted to themselves as the young woman marched away from the table. Richard, on the other hand, was too stunned for words as Patrick Quinn began repeatedly apologizing for his daughter's uncouth and unnecessary behavior. For most of the meal, Paige tuned out the rest of the conversation until she heard Drew mention her name.

"Paige has this strange fascination with art and music," Drew hooted loudly as the other men (except for Cabe) joined him in laughter. "While I absolutely don't understand why art and music intrigues her…," he suddenly placed a hand over her leg and gave her thigh an uncomfortable squeeze underneath the table. She immediately froze, wanting to kick her fiancé between his legs as hard as she could. How _dare_ he think it's okay for him to act like that! He was such a pig! "I certainly wouldn't mind a nude portrait of my fiancée, though. That would be quite the investment, don't you think?"

The men chortled and readily agreed as many pairs of lustful eyes landed on her. Paige inhaled deeply and simply stared at her mother, hoping she would have the sense to intervene, but _Mother Dearest_ kept her lips tightly pursed and her mouth shut.

"And if you sell the painting," Richard Elia sneered while raising his glass, "it might be worth far more than your fiancée herself."

"Maybe, but I will be the judge of that," Drew chuckled as his hand gripped the skirt of her dress and began sliding it upward. Paige, however, refused to let him entertain himself anymore.

"YOU PIG," she called out, immediately standing up and smacking him square on the jaw, her anger seething. Multiple gasps sounded from the various guests at the table, but she didn't care. She had enough of Drew disrespecting her and treating her like she was nothing but another piece of treasure to add to his collection.

SHE WAS NOT HIS PROPERTY!

Paige, tempted to slap him again, was forcibly grabbed by mother and yanked backwards. "Paige, what on earth?!" Her mother bellowed in a stern, controlled voice. "What has gotten into you today?!"

"Let go of me!" Paige exclaimed as she ripped her hand away from her mother's grasp. Without another word, she stormed away from the table, and her mother marched after her.

"Paige Maria Dineen, control your temper!"

"How could you just sit there?!" Paige swung around and threw her arms outward, forcing her mother to step backwards.

"Paige, if it's that time of month…"

"It's not that time of month," Paige hissed, trying not to attract more attention than necessary. "This has nothing to do with that!"

"Then what on earth is going on with you today?! You're not yourself!"

"Not myself?" Paige scoffed and let out a cold, chilly laugh. "You won't let me _be_ myself, Mother! I don't want to marry Drew, and you know that! You know how much I despise him and how horrible he treats me! But you don't care! You don't care at all!"

Before she could let her mother respond, she whipped around and strutted towards the elevator, demanding the operator to take her to the lowest deck. When the operator looked at her questionably, she glared at him, and he instantly started lowering the lift.

Paige couldn't take it anymore. She was absolutely done with everything! She couldn't stand her mother continuously reprimanding her, and Drew was the absolute worse man in the world! Neither of them truly cared about her – they never really did; all she was, was a possession to them, a pawn they carelessly manipulated, and she was tired of trying to mask her inner turmoil. She was tired of hiding her pain and her disgust and her desire to be her own woman, make her own choices, and marry a man she would love.

Her life didn't seem to matter. Nothing about her mattered. Only what she could inherit if she married Drew, AND SHE DID NOT WANT TO MARRY DREW! Her mother never listened to her, her mother never asked her what she wanted. The constant dos and don'ts made her head swim, and she only saw one way out of her miserable captivity.

The moment the elevator landed on the first deck, she sprinted from the operator, not caring to look back. She wanted off this ship! She wanted away from those horrible people and exiled forever from her life! They didn't care about her so why should she care about them? Why should she waste her life away, pretending to be someone she wasn't?

Clumsily, Paige climbed up the railing of the back of the ship and swung her legs over until there was nothing left between her and the water but her fingers holding onto the rail of the ship.

They didn't know how much she hated her life, and they didn't care to know. No one cared to know how she felt, thought, or wanted.

NO ONE CARED!

ABSOLUTELY NO ONE!

So why should she care about living? Why should she care about continuing her life in shackles when all she had to do was lean forward and let go. It would be that easy to blot herself her from existence.

"Hey, hey!" a male voice with a thick Irish accent startled her, causing her to grip the steel railing tighter. "Don't do it."

Paige whipped her head around and gazed at the same ruggedly handsome man she had found staring at her earlier in the day. Unsure of what he was going to do, she inhaled a deep breath and warned him to keep his distance. "Stay away! D-Don't come any closer!"

The man slowly approached her and extended his palm. "Take my hand. I'll pull you back in. With that dress, it will be difficult without assistance."

"No!" She cried as she turned her attention back to the sea. The water was dark and tumultuous; if she fell, she would die for sure. "Stay away! I mean it! I-I'll let go!"

"No, you won't."

"What do you mean no I won't?!" Paige fumed, tired of everyone telling her what she could or could not do. "You cannot control me! You don't even KNOW me!"

The man took another step towards her, his voice gentle and concerned. "Logic dictates you would have done it already. Now, take my hand."

Paige, confused as to why this man was determined not to leave her alone, released the rail with one hand and wiped her teary eyes. "Y-You're distracting me! Now, go away!"

"Nay, lass," his voice came closer, and she shivered but not from the cold temperatures below. "I'm now involved, and so if you jump off this ship, I have no choice but to jump in after you."

Paige whipped around to face him again, and she was beginning to think he was a madman. "Are you insane?! You'd be killed!"

He scoffed and gave her a pointed look before he shrugged off his jacket without hesitation. "I'm a fairly good swimmer," he said as he toed off his shoes. "I never turn down a challenge."

"Don't be a fool! The fall will kill you alone!"

The Irish man chuckled at the irony. "It _would_ hurt, yes. You are correct, but I'm more concerned about how cold the water's going to be."

"H-How cold?"

"Based on our current coordinates, the Atlantic, at best, is at a subfreezing temperature of -2 degrees Celsius," the man replied as he slowly approached her and overlooked the sea. "As cold as the water is below, it'll feel like hitting a thousand knives; you won't be able to breathe, won't be able to think… at least not about anything but the pain."

Paige inhaled a deep breath and inwardly cringed at the very thought.

"Which is why," he gripped the railing beside her, "I'm not looking forward to jumping in after you, but like I said, I don't really have a choice. I'm… sort of hoping you'll take my hand and climb back over the rail. But I _will_ jump in after you should you choose to let go."

"You're out of your mind crazy!" Paige exclaimed, but when she looked at his eyes, she could tell he was telling the truth.

He smirked. "I get that… a lot…, but with all due respect, I'm not the one hanging off the the ship." He gently covered her fingers with his and whispered, "Come on, now. You _don't_ need to do this."

Paige, for the longest time, stared at him, unsure what to do or say, but when his deep brown eyes met hers, she remembered the intensity she felt earlier, and they suddenly seemed to fill her emptiness. "All right," she muttered softly and slowly twisted around until she was right in front of him. Carefully, she placed her palm into his hand, and he firmly wrapped his fingers around hers, holding her hand tightly.

"I'm Walter O'Brien. It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss—"

"Paige Maria Dineen," Paige laughed quietly, gently shaking her hand. "But you may call me by 'Paige,'" With her other hand gripping the railing, she began to climb as he hoisted her upward, but her foot caught onto her lengthy dress and missed the rail, plunging her downward towards the dark, turbulent waters. She shrieked loudly, and Walter almost threw himself overboard to keep her from falling.

"Help me!" She screeched at the top of her lungs. "HELP ME, PLEASE!"

"I've got you!" he shouted, grasping her tightly. "I won't let go!"

Walter awkwardly hurled himself over the railing even more and lifted her upward until he was able to wrap his arm around her back and carry her over the railing. He stepped backwards, and they fell onto the deck in a tangled mess. Paige was flat on her back, breathing heavily, and Walter was on top of her. He was staring at her again, deep brown irises piercing hazel, and neither of them made an effort to move. "T-Thank you," she uttered breathlessly, and he nodded quietly, still unable to look away from her.

"What's all of this?!" Without warning, Walter was immediately thrown off Paige by the quartermaster, and after one look at the woman, with her ripped dress and disheveled appearance, he pointed at Walter and shouted, "You, there! Don't move an inch!"

Paige, with shaky hands, smoothed down her dress as best as she could before the quartermaster helped her to her feet. He turned to another employee approaching the scene and ordered him to fetch the Master of Arms.

And of course, Drew had to show up too.

"What makes you think you can touch my fiancée?!" He exclaimed as he approached Walter swiftly and grabbed him harshly by the lapels. Drew tossed him backwards and raised his arm to smack Walter. The inventor, however, didn't flinch, and dared the gentleman to make contact. "I should have you beaten, you piece of filth!"

"Drew! Stop it!" Paige exclaimed as she pushed her fiancé away from her savior. She then stood between them with her arms stretched out before Drew could strike him. "It was an accident!"

Drew eyed her suspiciously. "An… an accident?"

She nodded. "It was stupid, really," Paige bit her lip and stepped to the side as she caught Walter watching her curiously. "I was leaning over the railing, wanting to see the… the… propellers, and I slipped. I would have gone overboard, but Mr. O'Brien saved me, and he almost went over, himself."

Drew blinked with confusion. "Y-You wanted to see the propellers?"

The quartermaster shook his head in dismay, and Paige swallowed her desire to smack that smug smirk off of her fiancé's face. "Women and machinery do not mix."

The Master of Arms then turned to Walter and cocked an eyebrow. "Was that the way of it?"

Walter glanced at Paige, and she was glaring at him not to say a word about why she was _really_ out there. He shrugged and nodded slowly. "Yeah… That's what happened."

The colonel smiled and patted Walter's shoulder. "Then the boy is a hero! Well done, son!" He uncuffed Walter's wrists as Drew touched the small of Paige's back and guided her away from the Irishman.

"Let's get you inside, darling. You're freezing." Drew then possessively hooked his arm around her, but she pushed it away and frowned.

"Is that really how you treat the man who saved your fiancée's life?"

Drew sighed and scratched his head before gesturing his right-hand man to give Walter a small token of his gratitude. Paige gave her fiancé a pointed look, and he sighed louder. "Perhaps," he turned to Walter and pursed his lips. "Perhaps you can join us for dinner tomorrow and tell our friends of your heroic tale."

Looking straight at Paige with an intrigued expression, Walter nodded. "Sure. Count me in."

Drew's lips curved to a crooked smile. "Good. It's settled then. Come on, my sweet," he gripped her hip and tugged her close to him, oblivious to the silent exchange between Paige and Walter.

She bit her lip as Walter licked his slowly, and they both thought the same thing: They _must_ see each other again.

* * *

 **WriterFreak001**

 **Original Note:** I had fun writing this chapter! :D

 **Today's Note:** I received a review last night that wasn't very nice, saying another WIP was better, and that I should focus only on that instead of working on a different story. This reviewer was a guest so I could not send a direct reply.

First, I started 'The Scorpion' long before I began "High School Never Ends." My readers for 'The Scorpion' have been very patient for this revision that's been in the works for months.

Second, if you're going to leave a not so nice review and not even say what you might have liked about the _actual story you're reviewing,_ then please do not waste your time reviewing at all. Only nice reviews and constructive criticism is welcomed. Anything else is not.

Like most FanFiction writers, I write what in spires me, and currently, I'm feeling inspired to revise 'The Scorpion' instead of working on other WIPs. I promise to update, but I will update on my own time and when the inspiration comes to me. I work three jobs; it's hard to write FFN as is so please do not tell me where you think I should spend my time. This is all I will say in the matter.

To everyone who has chosen to stick with this revision, thank you for reading! Much love! xoxo


	4. Dreams & Ambitions

**WriterFreak001:**

 **I am on a roll. :) Thank you for your support so far! I'm hoping to get these revised by the end of January. :) #FingersCrossed**

* * *

 **The Scorpion**

 **Written by WriterFreak001**

 **Chapter 4:**

 **Dreams & Ambitions**

 **~ S** **CORPION ~**

Paige absentmindedly stared into her vanity mirror as she slowly combed her long, silky waves and inhaled a deep breath as her thoughts wondered dangerously to the man who had saved her life. For the first time in a long time, she was excited for tomorrow and _excited_ to meet _him_ again. After their awkward and harrowing encounter earlier, she felt strangely renewed as if he had given her some sort of newfound purpose to her life. She couldn't understand the bond between them, but she knew it was there and waiting to be explored. But would she dare to cross that line?

She certainly wanted to.

The memory of how soft his rough skin felt on hers as he covered her hand made her blush and her heart beat harder against her chest. And that thick Irish accent? Hoo-boy! She could fan herself and listen to him speak for hours. But what had taken her most by surprise was the way his eyes never shied away from her. Much like this morning, when she caught him staring. His eyes, his dark brown eyes, were deep, beautiful and fierce; she had never seen such strong, unbroken focus before. She had felt naked under his gaze… as if someone was truly seeing her for the first time…, and she had welcomed it.

Paige was almost ashamed of how her savior affected her, and she knew it was horribly wrong to feel so strongly for someone she only just met, but he had swept her away like no other.

But it wasn't because he had saved her life that she was feeling this way. He had displayed a general interest in her... something she wasn't used to. Her mother only saw her as a ticket out of debt. Drew only saw her as a possession, as a "beautiful wife" whom he would eventually take to bed and have his wicked way. She knew he didn't care for marriage as long as he could have her… But because her mother insisted on marriage first, thankfully, Drew has so far respected her wishes and hasn't made too many advances on Paige. Walter, however, didn't seem to look at her in that way, nor in any way, really. He just… seem to see her as a person… who needed help.

And what a crazy man he was! Paige had to laugh a little.

No man in his right mind would have jumped in after her, but he swore he would even if it meant losing his life, too. She certainly wouldn't put it past him, either.

Whether it was because of his piercing, deep eyes or his soft, warm voice or his smile, she didn't know, but somehow, he had managed to find a way to convince her that her life was worth living.

She owed him her life.

Paige gently placed her comb on top of her vanity and threaded her fingers through her hair, securing her honey-colored locks into a tight, messy braid when she spotted her fiancé approaching her. She willed herself to calm her heartbeat, letting out a deep breath through her nose and looked up into his reflection when he was standing behind her. "Drew…," was all she could say in his presence at the moment.

He bent down to rub her shoulders, and she cringed from how roughly he was massaging them. "I know you've been melancholy, and I don't pretend to know why," Drew pressed his cheek to hers and smiled a smug grin before straightening himself. He then placed a black, velvet jewel case down into her lap, and she numbly wrapped her fingers around it. "I planned to save this for the engagement gala next week. But, I thought, tonight, it would help you remember my feelings for you, darling."

Paige's slender fingers carefully opened it, and she gasped as the case revealed a large, sapphire jeweled necklace. "My God. Drew, is that a d—"

"Diamond?" Drew chuckled quietly. "Yes, it is. 56 carats, to be exact." Swiftly, he took the sapphire diamond and clipped it around her neck, admiring how it rested just above her bosom. "It was once worn by Louis the 16th. They call it: _Le Coeur de la Mer_. The –"

"Heart of the Ocean. Yes, I know." Paige, enamored by its beauty, muttered softly, unable to tear her eyes off the gleaming jewel. "Drew, it's… overwhelming."

"It's for royalty, Paige. And we _are_ royalty," he grinned as he stared at their reflections in the mirror. He gently caressed her neck and throat, running his cold, clammy fingers along the glimmering chain of the diamond. Paige tensed as he touched her, but her reaction went unnoticed. "There's nothing I couldn't give you, darling. There's nothing I'd deny you if you would deny me. Please… open your heart to me, Paige."

Paige inhaled a slow breath and gazed at the diamond silently. It was certainly… breathtaking, but couldn't be fooled. When it came to flattery, Drew was the best. But she refused to let him buy her affections. She couldn't and would never be bought, and if their engagement was under different circumstances… if she actually _loved_ him, then maybe she could see herself wearing such an extravagant diamond for the rest of her life, but she didn't love Drew…, and it was just so heavy! He was better off giving the stone to her mother and relieving Paige of the burden he's asking her to carry.

Paige did not say anything to him that night; she couldn't formulate a proper reply, and when he finally left her, she assumed he thought she was considering his words carefully, but there was nothing to consider. She tried, months ago, opening herself up to him as her mother had suggested, but countless times, he had proven to her that fame and fortune were more important. The more he boasted about his wealth, the more she distanced herself from him, and eventually,, her heart grew numb and devoid of anything she had once felt for Drew.

He lost her heart a long time ago…, and she was never going to give it back to him.

* * *

No matter how hard he tried, Walter could not stop thinking of Paige. She was, perhaps, the most beautiful creature he had ever seen, but despite her beauty, there was just something about her that highly intrigued him. She was no more than a few years younger than him, and yet she had experienced enough turmoil to send her down a dark path, and if he hadn't been at the right place at the right time, things could have very differently tonight.

But… even though he had just met her… even though he didn't know _what_ had triggered her brokenness…, he was grateful she had chosen life over death. For reasons he didn't particularly understand, he had to see her again… and before tomorrow night's dinner.

It was a must.

* * *

After finding a way to excuse herself from her mother's awful morning plans, Paige snuck away from the first-class leeches and carefully approached the gate leading down to third class. Steerage men watched her with curiosity and surprise as she stepped down the stairs, but she paid no mind to them, eager to find Mr. O'Brien to thank him, once again, for saving her life.

She passed a bunch of young children playing games and horsing around, and she couldn't help but smile at them. Oh, did she wish she could have played like them when she was their age; it would have made her childhood much more enjoyable. As she entered the social center of steerage life, she was surprised of the unique features it had, contrast to the first-class social center. Unlike the opulence she was used to, the social center of third class was incredibly loud and highly energetic. Mothers were scolding children, men were playing chess, girls reading novels and doing some needlepoint, and a young man, perhaps a few years older than her, was horribly playing the piano, but no one seemed to protest. Many were laughing, and some were dancing. It seemed like an overall happy place, and Megan was right. Third class was completely and positively more different than she expected. She should never have judged them.

Slowly, she scanned the room and gently smiled when she saw Walter sitting down at the bar, drinking a glass of water. As she approached him, almost all the activity in the room stopped, and she suddenly felt uncomfortably exposed. She anxiously bit her lip, wondering if coming down to steerage had been a mistake, but Walter noticed her immediately and rose to meet her, smiling and ignoring the rest of the room.

"Hello, Mr. O'Brien." She flushed and worried her lip with her teeth but then felt content and comfortable again when he spoke.

"Hello, Miss Paige."

" _Paige_ , please," she replied with a smile and beamed wider when he smiled back. "Could I…," she glanced down towards the hard floor, her embarrassment clearing showing. "Can I speak to you in private?"

"Oh. Of course." He nodded swiftly and gestured towards the door. "After you."

Quickly, Paige led him out of social center, and he shrugged at his friends, leaving everyone in stunned silence. "Mr. O'Brien," she started, but he held up a hand and cut her off as they sat down on a bench outside, facing the sea.

"Walter. You can call me Walter."

"Walter," Paige secretly enjoyed how the name rolled from her tongue. "I feel like such an idiot," she chuckled lightly as she fiddled with her silky, white gloves. "It took me all morning to get up the nerve to come down to third class and find you…. I feel like a complete stranger down here, and perhaps I am, but I had to come… I have much to say."

"Well, you found me… that's half the battle.," Walter smirked, and she quietly laughed, suddenly noticing how close he was to her.

"I never thought about it that way before, but yes. You're quite right." Paige said as her eyes finally met his. A smile colored her lips. "I… I wanted to thank you for what you did last night…. N-Not just for saving me, but for your discretion."

"You're welcome. Paige."

The young woman rose to her feet and swiftly approached the side of the ship with Walter in tow. "Look," she stared at the endless miles of deep blue waters as Walter, mesmerized by her beauty, shamelessly gazed at her. "I know what you must be thinking…. Poor little rich girl, what does _she_ know about misery?"

Walter shook his head earnestly. "Quite the opposite, actually." Paige turned towards him curiously as he continued. "What I was thinking was… what could have happened to hurt this girl so much that she thought she had no way out?"

"I don't…," she pinned her bottom lip under her teeth, unsure if she should answer at first, but she somehow knew she could trust him. "It wasn't just one thing…. It was everything. It was _them_ , it was their whole world…. I felt like I was trapped in it, and I saw only one solution." She curled a strand of her long hair behind her ear and returned her gaze to the ocean, unable to look at him. "I just had to get away…," she continued, "Just keep running and running, and then I was at the back rail, and there was no other place to run…. Even the Scorpion wasn't big enough… Not enough to get away from them, and before I'd really thought about it, I was over the rail. I was just… so angry and thought I could show them off and make them sorry for making me continuously feel the way I do." She inhaled a deep, shaky breath as she clenched her fingers in tight fists. "I'm such an utter fool; I don't even think my death would have captured their attention; they hardly notice when I'm alive so… I doubt they would even feel sorry if I was gone."

Walter was quiet for a few seconds as he processed everything but eventually asked, "So… who was the man in the penguin suit last night?"

"Drew…."

"Is he… one of _them?"_

Paige nodded slowly. "Yes, he is _them_."

"Is he your boyfriend?"

"Worse, I'm afraid," Paige laughed emotionlessly. She lifted her left hand and showed him her terribly large diamond, engagement ring.

Walter's eyes were wide as he inspected the rock on her tiny finger. "With a ring that size, you would have gone straight to the bottom for sure."

Paige chuckled lightly. "To make matters worse, our engagement was my mother's idea; he obviously had no objections, but… they don't care what I think."

"So…," Walter dug his hands into his pockets as Paige lowered her left hand and gave the inventor her undivided attention. "You feel like you're stuck because you can't get out of your engagement."

"Yes, exactly," she nodded with a sigh. "Life is so unfair sometimes…."

"So…," Walter shrugged, "Don't marry him." He spoke as though it was the simplest solution in the world.

"If only it were that easy," Paige frowned as she looked away from him and watched the waters glimmer under the sunlight.

"It _is_ that easy," Walter muttered, causing Paige to sigh again.

"Oh, Walter. Please don't judge me until you've seen my world." Paige inhaled a deep breath and rested her chin against the railing. "It's so different than yours."

"Well," he mused, "I guess I will tonight."

Paige, wanting to change the subject, turned towards him and noticed his notebook clamped underneath his arm. "What's this?"

"Just some notes and… calculations… blue prints," Walter mumbled, and she raised an eyebrow.

"May I?" Walter nodded apprehensively and silently gave Paige his notebook. She flipped through it and revealed a blur of invention sketches and calculations – exactly what Walter had described. She then looked at him with curious eyes. "You're an inventor?"

"Prospective," Walter replied almost immediately. He shuffled his feet a little. "No one in Europe liked my ideas so I'm hoping America will appreciate them more."

"I don't see why any industrial company would turn these ideas down. They're really good! Acute to detail and ingenious," Paige smiled as she continued looking at the notebook. "I suspect you will have a marvelous career."

"Maybe, but I'm not designing these ideas for money. While it would be nice to afford some things… like the essentials…, I merely want to help cut down man hours for more efficient product-making. I… uh…," he awkwardly scratched his head, "I like efficiency…. And I think these inventions will effectively improve the efficiency of many business so that people, instead of spending odd hours getting work done, can go home and spend time with their families."

"That's very thoughtful, Walter." Paige grinned softly. "I hope your ambitions carry you far. You have a lot of great ones, and I can tell you see a lot of good in people and wish for the best. You have a true gift," Paige paused and laughed from his amused, but skeptical expression. "You do." She bit her lip lightly and then whispered, "You _see_ people…. Not for what they are, but for _whom_ they are."

"I see you," Walter quietly replied, receiving Paige's undivided attention. His eyes melted into hers, and she noticed just how much closer they were. He was so warm.

"Oh?" She lifted an eyebrow slowly as she took a step away from him. "And what do you see?"

He was quiet for a moment, but eventually, he smirked knowingly. "You wouldn't have jumped."

* * *

For most of the morning and afternoon leading up into the evening, Paige spent her time, freely, in third class and thoroughly enjoyed her ongoing conversation with Walter. He always had something to say to her, and he never said anything upsetting or hurtful; everything he said was so uplifting and encouraging. She had never met a man so kind before, and she was so happy she met Walter when she did.

Perhaps it was fate.

"You know," Paige bit her lip and stared at her white heels as she folded her fingers into her lap. "My dream has always been to just… abandon my life and become an artist… living in a garret, poor but free."

"Statistically," Walter chuckled softly, "You wouldn't have lasted two days."

Paige frowned indignantly. "I would find a way. It might be hard at first, but at least I wouldn't have to bow down to my mother or suffer from Drew's pride and idiocy. I'm just so tired of people ignoring my dreams and making me do what they want."

"Then…," Walter crossed his arms and leaned against the back of the bench. "If being an artist is your dream, you should pursue it. While I don't understand art completely, my sister tells me a lot of people enjoy it and value it in ways that are beyond me. She also tells me each artist as a separate story to share…, and I think your story would be worth sharing; maybe people could relate."

Paige's frown disappeared, and she smiled warmly. "Your sister is wise."

"Sometimes," Walter chuckled softly, "though I know it's incredibly impossible, I feel like my sister is smarter than me. She understands the world a lot better than I do, and without her, I don't know where I'd be."

"What's your sister's name?"

"Megan."

Paige paused for a moment and then snapped her attention to Walter with surprised eyes. "Megan, as in my personal maid, Megan?"

Walter laughed quietly and nodded. "The very one."

"I had no idea."

"I wouldn't have suspected you too," Walter chortled but then softened his expression. "I want to thank you, though, for being kind to her. She's spoken highly of you, and I'm grateful my sister isn't treated poorly."

"Megan is great," Paige smiled as she mindlessly angled herself towards him. "She's, by far, the best maid servant I've had in years. She pays attention to detail and isn't afraid of speaking her mind; I hope she and I will be great friends. I don't have many companions and so I'm grateful to have met both of you," she giggled quietly and softly covered his hand with hers. "You're both doing a fine job keeping me sane."

"You're welcome," Walter suddenly scrunched his face and added, "I think."

Paige laughed melodiously and slowly pushed herself off the bench. She walked towards the rail again, knowing Walter was right behind her. "There's something in me, Walter…. I just… I feel it. I don't know what it is, but… I want to be someone who expresses herself. Who knows, maybe I'll be a dancer… or a singer and not an artist. I just want to be a free spirit."

Walter noticed how the sun was setting and grinned. "Come on," he rose to his feet and offered her his hand, "I want to show you something."

"What?"

"You'll see," Walter replied as Paige slowly placed her small hand in his. He helped her to her feet and escorted her to a small hallway facing the orange-yellow glow, just touching the horizon. They leaned against the A-deck rail, shoulder to shoulder, and watched the sun dip its colors into the ocean.

"Wow," Paige inhaled a deep breath, mesmerized by the colorful sunset painting the sky. "Beautiful."

"Whenever you feel trapped," Walter slowly spoke as he stared at the sunset, "just… look out there… look at the sky. Though it might seem the same every night, and it might feel like it's unchanging, astronomy is beyond us, freer than anything we can imagine. While we might be limited to one place at a single moment, the universe isn't. Billions, maybe trillions, of years ago, the universe had a starting point, and has slowly expanded ever since. Everybody starts out somewhere, Paige," he finally looked into her dazzling eyes and smiled softly. "One day, you'll look back and see how much you've expanded like the universe; it's only a matter of time, but you'll get there."

Paige swallowed thickly and worried her lip as she blinked back an onset of tears. "That's," she feigned laughter and let out a small puff of air, "That's exactly what I needed to hear, Walter."

The inventor shrugged a little bit, and Paige smiled appreciatively. "I bet you make a lot of women swoon with your flattery." Paige giggled, but he shook his head.

Before he could answer, a woman cleared her throat loudly and abruptly, prompting the pair to spin around immediately.

"M-Mother," Paige nearly coughed as the prudish woman frowned at her and then gave Walter a distasteful look.

"Paige, dear. It is time for you to stop your silly charades and change for dinner."

"Mother," Paige decided there was no point in arguing, "at least let me introduce you to my new friend, Walter O'Brien. He's the one who saved my life last night. Surely Drew told you of the ordeal."

She gave Walter a onceover and shrugged ever so slightly. "He must have forgotten."

Paige crossed her arms, ready to bark at her mother for being so rude to Walter, but the inventor placed his hand on the young woman's shoulder and calmed her almost immediately.

"It's okay," he whispered. "At least your mother took the time to look at me. I hardly even get that."

"Come, Paige!" Her mother's voice was more demanding, riling Paige up again.

She turned to Walter and sighed. "I have to go. I'll see you at dinner, okay?"

He nodded and smiled. "At dinner."

As Paige slowly followed her mother, Walter watched her leave until he couldn't see her anymore. He sighed quietly, already anxious to see her again.

"Son, do you have the slightest comprehension of what you're doing?" Cabe Gallo, who had watched the entire exchange between the inventor and Paige, lifted an eyebrow and swiftly approached Walter.

Walter shook his head immediately. "No idea."

"Well," Cabe folded his arms and eyed his clothes, "you're about to go into the snake pit. I hope you're ready. What are you planning to wear?"

Walter gave him a puzzled look. "What I have on?"

Cabe sighed loudly. "I figured…."

* * *

 **WriterFreak001:**

 **Please let me know what you think of this revision! I added quite a bit to the beginning. ;)**


	5. Making It Count

**WriterFreak001:**

I apologize for the small hiatus on this one. The holidays have been crazy, and managing several ongoing WIPs zaps the energy from me. Heh. I really need to start prioritizing my life. -_-;

* * *

 **The Scorpion**

 **Written by WriterFreak001**

 **Chapter 5:**

 **Making It Count**

 **~ S** **CORPION ~**

Walter could barely recognize himself in the mirror as he stared at the penguin suit he was wearing. Never before had he worn such fine-looking clothes, but he could definitely get used to it if it meant spending more time with Paige. Though he knew she was _technically_ engaged to another man, there was just something about her that allured him, and he couldn't stop thinking about her.

She was dangerously beautiful, and her mellifluous laugh was like chimes swaying in the wind. Her colorful, full lips captivated him, and whenever she smiled, he would grow weak in the knees, and his heart would swell unlike anything he had ever felt before.

Yes.

Paige Maria Dineen was indeed a stunning woman, but she was more than that. So much more. Unlike most of his encounters with other people, he thoroughly enjoyed spending time with her. All those moments he spent with her earlier had felt like a blissful eternity; time had stopped, and he had never wanted it to resume.

And yet, here he was.

"Son," Cabe crossed his arms in front of his chest and approached the inventor slowly. "Whatever you do tonight," he said as picked the black jacket off the bed and handed it to Walter, "don't let them know you're nervous. They're like leeches, they'll want to know everything about you so… if you want to make a strong first impression, don't try to flirt with Miss Dineen tonight. Her mother would throw you into the furnace if you so much as smile at her."

"I don't," Walter forced an awkward chuckle, "I mean, I _can't_ flirt. I'm genetically incapable."

Cabe rolled his eyes dramatically, "Yeah, yeah, and I'm a secret agent for a defense team in the states."

"I'm serious," Walter blinked at the middle-aged man as he shifted his weight a little. He crossed his arms, mimicking Cabe's former stance. "I can't flirt. My mind," he tapped his temple, "is unique. I can calculate trajectories and memorize information in seconds, but when it comes to emotions… when it comes to superfluous things like flirting, I am absolutely clueless."

"It didn't seem that way an hour ago," Cabe mumbled quietly, but Walter ignored him as he noticed his tie was askewed and tried to fix it. "Here, let me," Cabe said as he swatted Walter's hands away and smoothed the bowtie underneath the lapels. "Don't feel bad about not being able to tie a tie. I still struggle with these damn things from time to time." He patted the center of the bow and grinned. "There you go."

"I'm surprised… this ensemble… it fits quite well."

"It's an old suit of mine. Don't really know why I still have it, but I lug it around everywhere in the off chance that I'll be able to wear it again. Anyway, it suits you better. No pun intended. Paige will be pleased with how handsome you look, but just because you shine up like a new penny and might further impress her, don't be getting any ideas. If you want to live through tonight, you best behave yourself."

"I'm an Irish inventor," Walter scoffed indignantly. "I think I can handle one night of scrutiny and arrogance."

"You say that now," Cabe chuckled as he slipped into his own black jacket, "but just you wait until you meet Paige's mother, Ruth."

"I've already met Paige's fiancé, Drew; how bad can she be compared to him?" Walter cocked an eyebrow as he turned towards an amused Cabe.

"Believe me," Cabe looped his own bowtie slowly, "Drew's behavior is child's play compared to the ruthless Ruth Dineen." He paused and smirked, "Remember the cold stare she gave you?" Walter nodded, and Cabe patted him on the back. "That was just a warmup. I'm telling you, kid. She's a vindictive siren, and I guarantee you, she will eat you alive and then feed your bones to the sharks below." Cabe laughed manically as he gave Walter a small tap towards the door, "Good luck, my friend. You're going to need every ounce you can get."

* * *

Paige sighed happily as she entered her bed chambers and lightly bit her lip as she pushed her back against the door to close it. She never thought she could ever enjoy her stay on the Scorpion, but just meeting Walter O'Brien and talking to him… and spending time with him… made her voyage all the more pleasant, and she absolutely couldn't wait to see him again at dinner.

He was everything Drew was not. He was attentive, he listened to her and made her feel important. And he was very… _real_. He understood the world in ways she could never comprehend, and he didn't try to be someone he wasn't. Unlike most of the young men in her life, he didn't try winning her affection. He was kind, and a good listener. She had only spoken to him for an afternoon, and yet, she felt like she had known him her entire life. He had more respect for her in his tiny finger than Drew would ever have in his entire body.

She couldn't stop thinking of him.

And the thought of spending more time with Walter made her anxious and breathless and happy all at once. For the first time in a long time, she felt alive.

And that was good.

"Do you need help dressing for the evening, Paige?"

The young, smitten woman blinked and turned towards Megan, now noticing the remarkable similarities between her and her brother, Walter. "No… Wait! Actually, yes! Yes, I do."

Megan laughed. "Good day?"

"The greatest," Paige flashed a warm smile as she pushed away from the door and turned around for Megan to unhook her dress.

"Oh?" Megan grinned and bit her bottom lip as she unfastened Paige's dress. "And what made it so great?"

Paige's toes curled underneath her shoes, and she smiled even more. "I spent most of the day with your brother."

"Walter?"

Paige hummed. "Mhmm."

"Did I miss something?" Megan cocked an eyebrow as she finished with the last hook and carefully slid the dress down Paige's shoulders. "How did you two meet?"

"I…," Paige inhaled a deep breath and decided she could trust Megan, "I was upset and was in a very dark place last night, but Walter… He… He saved me…. He talked me out of doing something absolutely horrible, and I went to look for him today to thank him, again, for saving my life. When I found him, we spent a long time just talking, and it was…," Paige's lips curved to a smile, "relaxing and nice and sweet. I can't remember the last time I felt so comfortable speaking with the a member of the opposite sex. With Drew, I practically have to spell things out for him in order to be heard or understood, but even when I do that, he hardly pays any attention to my thoughts or concerns… But Walter…, he's so easy to talk to, and there's just something calming about him. I feel warm and safe when I'm around him…"

Megan beamed, but didn't say anything.

"Drew…," Paige continued, grimacing at the very mention of that leech's name, "He halfheartedly invited Walter to have dinner with us as a thank you for saving me, and now we're all eating dinner together. It's strange… I'm a little nervous but also very excited to see him again. I _want_ to see him again."

Megan grinned ear to ear as Paige stepped out of her dress. She picked up the gown and left quickly to hang it up before returning to the smitten woman. Paige spun around swiftly as the ruffles of her chemise swirled about her hips. Without warning, her fingers grabbed Megan's shoulders and gripped them enthusiastically. "Please tell me everything you know about him!"

Megan rolled her eyes playfully. "Are you sure you want to know? I mean, it's a doozy."

Paige nodded almost impatiently. "I must know."

"Well," Megan replied thoughtfully, "Wally is… different than most men, but in a good way. He's a brilliant thinker, always twenty steps ahead of everybody. He exists mostly inside his mind," she tapped her temple, "and he's always thinking… Always inventing… For all I know, Wally could be the smartest person in the world. Not even his friend, Toby, can match his intellect." Megan paused with a smile and could tell that Paige was falling harder and harder in love with Walter the more she shared about him.

"But aside from his intellect, Walter is also the kindest, most generous, most loving brother anyone could ask for. Even though I'm older than him, Wally's been watching out for me ever since we were 's very protective of those he cares for." Megan gave Paige a small smile as she went to fetch the young woman's evening dress - a red-copper silky gown adorned with black lace and tiny jewels. Her smile soon fell. "I feel sorry for him sometimes, though."

"Oh?" Paige frowned as Megan gestured her to step into her dress. "How so?"

The Irish maiden shrugged as she glided the silk over Paige's slender figure. "Being highly intelligent, from what I've observed, makes him lonely. Aside from Toby and me, he doesn't really have any friends or anyone to talk to. Because of who he is, there's not a lot of people who can comprehend his intelligence, let alone try to understand him. I'm sure you've noticed how close he keeps his journal…"

Paige nodded before Megan continued. "Ever since we were adolescents, I can't remember a time when he's _not_ had that journal. He writes everything down. Any small or large detail he sees or thinks of is documented." Megan sighed quietly. "I guess I just wish he would interact more with people instead of diving deep into his head whenever he craves conversation. Meeting Toby has helped, and I'm grateful that Wally has a friend he can communicate with, but I think it might make him happier if he could somehow express himself in ways others would understand."

Paige pursed her lips but couldn't suppress her grin. "I think I can help with that."

Megan blinked and gazed at that woman with curiosity. "Oh, really?"

Paige nodded with a shy smile. "Well, you see, today… Walter and I conversed for hours, oblivious of time passing beyond our little world. Not once did I find him burying his nose into his notebook or withdrawing into himself as you have described. I think… by having someone to talk to, you know, somebody whose company he enjoys, he'll eventually crawl out of his shell a bit more. I mean… I don't want him to stop with his inventions; I actually think they're quite fascinating, and it would be a shame for him to stop them altogether, but I agree with you. Fresh air and allowing the mind to breathe is important."

Megan couldn't hide her tiny laugh as she finished fastening Paige's dress around her bosom. "Maybe he'll actually listen this time. He hates being told what to do, but I think a woman's touch is exactly what he needs. I know my brother," Megan said as she smoothed down Paige's gown. "He hardly speaks to anybody without reason. Because of who he is, he has a hard time, sometimes, maintaining interest and focus in a single conversation, so it definitely surprises me when you say the two of you have conversed almost all day. If _anybody_ can keep Wally out of his head, then it's certainly you."

Paige smiled. "I shall try."

"So…," Megan couldn't help herself even though she was pretty sure she knew the answer already, "Do you like my brother?"

Paige slowly licked her lips before they curved to asmile. "Very much so."

"And do you think he's handsome?"

Paige's grin grew to her ears. "Oh, absolutely."

* * *

Walter was surprisingly more confident than he thought he would be as he made his way to the First-Class entrance. Even though he was a nobody compared to everybody else beyond the double doors, no one looked down on him as he was politely greeted by the steward. Except for a select few, it seemed as though everyone else thought he was wealthy, and he had Cabe to thank for helping him look the part.

Walter took one step inside the First-Class entrance, and his eyes shot open as if he was suddenly transported to a different universe in a different galaxy. He hadn't realized just how different his class was from hers, but he quickly calmed his features, not wanting to seem out of place. Everything was just so… so elegant – an extremely different environment than Third Class. Overhead was an enormous glass dome with a crystal chandelier hanging from its center. The people around him were all dressed in suits and floor-length gowns, and while the women chattered amongst other women, the men, all of them pinning their arms against the smalls of their backs, were grouped together, talking quietly.

Not wanting to stand out, Walter folded his right arm behind him like the other men but kept to himself as he continued to marvel his surroundings.

He hovered over the railing of the First-Class Grand Staircase and whistled. Six stories, from what he could tell, swept down to the lower levels of the Scorpion, and he was thoroughly impressed by the staircase's 0pulent architecture. Slowly, he descended the stairs to A deck, and as he passed First-Class gentlemen, they greeted him with small nods, and, to be polite, he nodded back. When he reached the bottom of the staircase, he leaned leaned against the railing as he waited for further instructions.

A few minutes passed when Drew, with Paige's mother on his arm, descended the stairs, passing by Walter without recognizing him. Drew, just before the pair entered the dining saloon, gave the Irish inventor a slight nod, from one gent to another, but Walter barely had time to return the gesture. Hoping Paige was near, the genius turned around slowly and drew in a sharp breath as the woman he had been anxiously waiting for carefully descended the staircase. With one gloved hand on the railing, she gracefully stepped down to him, one foot at a time, but Walter, completely hypnotized by her beauty, was unable to move.

Paige extended her hand to him, and Walter, still imitating the gentlemen's stance, took it and gently kissed the back of her fingers. Paige flushed deeply and beamed noticeably, incapable of taking her eyes off of him.

"Cabe, uh, he g-gave me some tips to f-follow tonight," Walter stuttered, unsure why he felt the need to explain himself. One thing was for sure, though. Every ounce of confidence he felt entering the First-Class Entrance completely deserted him the moment he saw Paige floating down the staircase.

"Cabe told you wisely," Paige pinned his fingers to her palm and gently squeezed them.

Walter mindlessly ran his thumb over her knuckles, and she blushed as he muttered, "You look stunning."

"Thank you," she bashfully grinned, "You look rather dashing yourself."

"Thanks," Walter chuckled, "I also have Cabe to thank for that."

Paige giggled as she eagerly hooked her arm around his and guided him into the dining saloon where Drew and her mother were conversing amongst themselves. "Drew," Paige said casually as they approached them, "You remember Mr. O'Brien."

Drew, caught off guard, gave Walter a quick onceover and exclaimed, "O'Brien! I didn't recognize you!" He paused as he noticed Walter's posture, "Amazing! You could almost pass for a gentleman."

"Don't be so crude, Drew," Paige said quietly. "He's dressed better than you on most days."

Drew, though obvious he didn't like Paige's smart comment, feigned laughter as Paige absentmindedly tugged Walter closer to her. She knew it was going to be brutal for Walter to be in a world he wasn't used to, but she was prepared for anything that Drew, or anybody else, might throw his way.

"Paige! Watch your tongue!" Ruth snapped, but Drew touched her mother's shoulder to console her.

"No, it's quite all right." Drew forced a chuckle, "She's right. I do have a tendency to dress down every once in a while, but at least I don't dress like a beggar from Third Class."

Paige's mother nodded in agreement as Paige's victorious smile fell. Walter, to her surprise, took a step towards Drew and said in a heavy brogue, "Oi bet y'wouldn't even last a day in turd class, laddie.."

The leech shrugged nonchalantly. "Perhaps not,but," he chuckled loudly, "with money like mine, why would I ever need to visit that dreadful eyesore in the first place?"

Walter clenched his fists and gritted his teeth as Drew and Ruth turned from them. Paige immediately sensed Walter's anger and cupped his right fist inside her hands. "Hey," she whispered quietly, "Drew is ignorant and conceited. Over the years, I've learned to ignore mostly everything he's ever said. You can too." Paige paused and then added, "He's not worth your punch."

Walter, surprisingly calm, sighed silently and nodded, knowing Paige was right. She slowly walked Walter in the opposite direction of Drew and nodded towards a couple several feet in front of them. She quietly pointed out several notables but paused when she heard Sir Cosmo call out to her fiancé as he looked at her like she was some sort of trophy.

"Baker, she is splendid."

Drew beamed. "Thank you."

Colonel Gracie, another man Paige had pointed out, laughed loudly and patted Drew's shoulder. "Drew's a lucky man. I know him well, and it can only be luck."

Paige's mother approached the men and hooked her arm around Drew's elbow, wearing an amused grin on her lips. "How can you say that Colonel? Andrew Baker,the _Third_ is a _great_ catch."

Paige dramatically rolled her eyes and tugged Walter away from them, wanting to introduce him to John Jacob Astor and his incredibly young wife, Madeleine. "Mr. And Mrs. Astor, how lovely to see you again," Paige smiled with grace. "I'd like you to meet my good friend, Mr. Walter O'Brien."

J.J. joyfully shook Walter's hand. "Good to meet you, young chap! Any relation to William X. O'Brien of the ISRP?"

"No," Walter shook his head, "O'Brien is a common name in Ireland. I'm related to Sean and Louise O'Brien of Callan, Ireland, near Kilkenny."

J.J. nodded even though he had never heard of them, and Madeleine appraised Walter before leaning towards Paige and whispering, "It's a pity we're both spoken for, isn't it?"

Paige flushed deeply as Madeleine winked at her.

After a small conversation with the Astors, Paige escorted Walter to the dining table where Drew and her mother were already sitting. As dinner started, Walter was asked an overwhelming amount of questions, but he never faltered despite how nervous he was. For some reason, having Paige sitting next to him eased his mind greatly. But, the moment Paige's mother began her questioning, the kindness in the room quickly turned sour towards him.

"Tell us of the accommodations in steerage, Mr. O'Brien. I hear they're quite good on this ship."

"Mother!" Paige snapped immediately, but Walter squeezed her hand under the table and flashed a forced smile.

"The best I've ever seen, ma'am. Hardly any rats."

Drew noticed how close Walter and Paige were sitting and quickly added, "Mr. O'Brien is joining us from Third Class. He was of some assistance to my _fiancée_ last night." Drew looked directly at Paige and then glared daggers at Walter, making the inventor slightly uncomfortable. He angled his body away from Paige and cleared his throat as he scooted ever so slightly away from her. Paige noticed the silent exchange between her new friend and her fiancé and frowned, wanting to scoot even closer to Walter just to spite Drew, but she decided against it, not wanting to humiliate Walter in the process.

The waiter, after taking orders from everyone else, approached Walter and asked, "How do you take your caviar, sir?"

"Just a soupcon of lemon," Drew replied quickly before Walter could answer. "It improves the flavor with champagne."

Walter glanced up at the waiter and gave him a small smile. "No caviar for me, thanks." He cocked his head at Drew. "Never really cared for it."

Paige quietly giggled at Walter's response, but her discretion did not go unnoticed by Drew, nor her mother.

"And where exactly do you live, Mr. O'Brien?"

"Well," Walter shrugged casually, "right now, I live here on this fine ship, and after that, I plan to seek out buisnesses aiming to improve efficiency in the workforce. I hope to invest my inventions in the industry someday."

"Inventions?" Drew cocked an eyebrow; Ruth appeared unimpressed.

Paige gently touched Walter's arm and said, "Walter aspires to be an inventor, Drew. He's brilliant, and his designs are quite good; I believe he will go far with them."

"And what if your designs are not well-liked?" Ruth patted her lips with her napkin as Paige glowered at her.

"Well, if I can't find an interested party, then I'll keep looking elsewhere," Walter replied with another shrug. "But for now, while I'm living on the Scorpion, surrounded by miles of water, I'm not going to worry about where I'll live or how I'm going to afford life in the States. I'm just going to focus on what's important to me."

"And what would that be, Mr. O'Brien?" Ruth sipped from her wine glass.

"Watching over my sister, making sure my buddy, Toby, doesn't get into trouble, and continue working with my designs when time permits it." Walter mumbled after taking a bite of his salad. He _wanted_ to slip "keeping Paige company" into his response, but he decided to keep that piece of information to himself for now.

"If you have your doubts about your designs, then why bother trying to invest them? Wouldn't you rather use your time more wisely and do something you're used to doing like mucking out stalls or something?"

Walter forced a tight smile at Paige's ruthless mother and said, "I'll be honest, ma'am. Living a third class lifestyle isn't easy; sometimes I have enough for food, sometimes I don't. Any money I do get, whether it's from winning a hand at poker or working odd jobs for people who need assistance, goes to my sister and my parents who can't afford to leave Callan, Ireland. Living day to day, wondering if you'll have food on your plate the next meal, is hard. I'm not saying that it's not, but regardless of how hard life can be, I've learned it's important not to waste it. And that's what I plan to do, ma'am," Walter paused and feigned another smile. "I plan to make each day count."

Cabe, who was sitting at the very end of the table, grinned and rose his glass. "Well said, kid."

"Here, here," Colonel Gracie nodded as he also rose his glass respectfully.

Paige, very much aware of her mother's glare, lifted her wine glass off of the table and smiled at Walter. "To making it count."

Ruth scowled at her daughter and pressed Walter further, determined to dig her claws deep into her prey. "How is it you have the means to travel, Mr. O'Brien?"

"I work my way from place to place," Walter replied with another shrug. "Tramp steamers and such…. I won my ticket on the Scorpion here in a good hand at poker." He met Paige's eyes and smiled slowly. "A pure, pure gran' 'an'.."

Paige, though unsure what he had just said, blushed to her ears and desperately needed a distraction to keep her mother from detecting her attraction to Walter. She noticed Mr. Patrick Quinn ignoring the conversation at hand, scrawling in his little notebook. She suddenly had an idea. "Mr. Quinn, what are you writing? I see you everywhere writing in this little book." Paige, highly intrigued, grabbed it and read what he had written aloud: "Increased number of screws in hat hooks from 2 to 3." She turned to Mr. Quinn and cocked an eyebrow. "You build the biggest ship in the world, and this preoccupies you?!"

Patrick smiled sheepishly.

Richard Elia's mustache twitched upward. "He knows every rivet in her, don't you Patrick?"

"All three million of them," Patrick nodded as his daughter, Happy, rolled her eyes.

"His blood and soul are in the ship. She may be mine on paper, but in the eyes of God," Richard smirked, "she belongs to Patrick Quinn."

Paige leaned towards Patrick and smiled warmly. "Your ship is a wonder, Mr. Quinn. Truly."

"Thank you, Miss Paige." Patrick grinned, and Happy sighed as she pushed herself away from the table.

"Excuse me," she frowned deeply and clenched her fists, "I need to… powder my nose."

She left abruptly, and Paige suddenly sensed something was off. For some unknown reason, she felt like she needed to apologize to Patrick Quinn's daughter. "Excuse me for a moment," Paige stood up, and everyone looked at her questionably. She first glances towards Walter and then to her mother and Drew. "I'll be back momentarily." Swiftly, she followed Happy towards the restroom and found the small woman hovering over the sink, leaning on her fists. "Happy, correct?"

Happy turned towards Paige and frowned. "What do _you_ want?"

"I feel as though I've upset you, and if I have, I'm sorry." Paige bit her lip lightly.

Happy sighed. "No, don't be sorry. It's not you."

"Oh," Paige sighed with relief. "If you don't mind, why are you so upset?"

Happy leaned against the wall and shrugged. "My father didn't design the RMS Scorpion. I did."

Paige's eyes widened. "Oh, I didn't know."

"No one does…. Not really." Happy frowned and folded her arms across her chest. "Because it's apparently considered scandalous for a woman to work a man's job, my father told me to lie and pretend that he was the one who designed everything. He helped, sure, but I was the brains behind the Scorpion's design. The notes he was studying… Those are mine. He takes my notebook sometimes and studies my observations for show." Happy paused and sighed loudly. "I can't be mad at my father though; despite how annoying it is to watch him constantly take credit for _my_ work, he's just trying to protect my reputation."

"Perhaps it's time everyone knows you were the one who designed this ship; it doesn't seem fair that your father, as nice as he is, is taking the credit." Paige slowly frowned.

Happy scoffed. "By the time women started riding bicycles – another scandalous image, I was designing Model T's for Henry Ford. No one but my father knows that though. Maybe someday, I'll actually be able to claim something that's my own, but for now, I think it's best to leave things be."

"Are you sure it's what you want?"

"No, I'm not sure, but we're women. Women hardly have any say on anything, so, other than grinning and bearing it, what else am I supposed to do?"

"Tell the truth."

"No." Happy shook her head slowly. "It's too late now. If anyone important found out about my father's deception, then he could be incarcerated. Killed, even. It's best, for now, to leave things as they are."

Paige sighed. "Suit yourself."

As Paige turned away from Happy, the mechanic's small voice stopped her. "So… is your friend-slash-boyfriend really an inventor?"

"He's not my boyfriend."

"Fine. Okay. I'll rephrase the question. Is your friend really an inventor?"

"Yes." Paige nodded with a smile. "You two should speak sometime. I'm sure, with minds like yours together, the two of you could invent something great."

Happy shrugged and gave Paige a small smile. "Maybe."

* * *

Both Paige and Happy returned to the dining saloon, and they took their seats as the waiter lifted everyone's plates off of the table. Paige leaned towards Walter and whispered, "I'm sorry for leaving you to the wolves. I hope nothing too horrible happened while I was away."

Walter shook his head. "Nothing I couldn't handle," he whispered.

Paige noticed Colonel Gracie standing up and muttered into Walter's ear, "Next, it'll be brandies in the Smoking Room."

As if on cue, the colonel patted his round belly and exclaimed, "Join me for a brandy, gentlemen?"

"Now they retreat into a cloud of smoke and congratulate each other on being masters of the universe," Paige mumbled in a low tone, causing Walter to snort.

The colonel then turned towards the inventor. "Joining us, O'Brien? You don't want to stay out here with the women, do you?"

Walter shook his head. "No thanks. I need to get back before my friend, Toby, loses all of our money to a hand of poker."

Drew's lips curved to a smug grin. "Probably best. It'll be all business and politics, that sort of thing. Wouldn't interest you." Drew backed away with the other men and as he followed them out of the dining saloon, he turned to Walter and flashed an arrogant grin. "Good of you to come."

After Drew disappeared, Paige immediately turned to Walter and ached to reach for him, worried she would never see him again if her mother had anything to say about it. "Must you go?"

Walter nodded androse to his feet. "Time for me to check up on Toby and my sister." He leaned over and gently took her hand, and she quietly gasped as he slipped a tiny note into her palm. "Good night, Paige." He pressed his lips softly against the back of her hand again..

"Good night," she mumbled as he released her hand and turned to leave. Unaware of the evil stare Ruth was giving Walter, Paige slowly opened the note underneath the table and blushed furiously.

 _ **Make it count. Meet me at the clock.**_

* * *

 **WriterFreak001:**

Yay! Finally another chapter revised! :D


	6. First Kiss

**WriterFreak001:**

 **I watched something on the Titanic the other day and felt inspired to write more to this story. I'm so so so so so sorry for making everyone wait on the next update.**

 **Life's been a piece of shit this year. To say it kindly.**

* * *

 **Chapter 6:**

 **First Kiss**

 **~ S** **CORPION ~**

Paige counted the minutes, waiting for her mother to get lost in her deep conversations with her fellow lady friends before slipping away from the table. Her mother didn't even ask her where she was going as she left the dining saloon, but Paige didn't care (and was grateful for it). Eagerly, she crossed the A-Deck foyer and smiled when she saw Walter still waiting for her at the landing above. As the clock softly chimed into a new hour, the young, eager woman carefully ascended the staircase, never straying her attention away from him.

And when he turned around slowly, it was as though he already knew she was quietly approaching him. Their eyes immediately found one another, and his lips curved to a gentle smile.

Paige couldn't stop grinning. "You're still here."

"I knew you'd come," Walter replied softly as he extended his palm towards her. However, to be discreet, Paige hooked her arm around his instead. "Incredibly smart _and_ psychic," she laughed melodiously, her feet automatically moving with him as they started climbing the stairs. "Where are we going?"

"You'll see," Walter muttered into Paige's ear as another couple from the first class walked around them towards the upper levels. He nodded towards them, and they subtly nodded back, smiling as they passed. "Trust me," he added while casually covering her hand with his. "You'll enjoy it."

"What makes you say I will?" the spirited woman teased with a light giggle.

"Because," Walter said as he started leading her down to the lower levels of the ship, "where I'm taking you, you'll be entering a place not even your mother or your _fiancé_ would dare to go."

Paige's lips curled to a smile. "I'm liking it already."

* * *

Paige was tremendously amazed with how happy everyone looked as Walter escorted her into the Third Class social room. Unlike earlier in the day, the music was louder, people were dancing and laughing and acting like fools, but everyone was enjoying themselves and having fun.

"I want you to meet someone," Walter whispered into her ear as he guided her through the room towards a poker table. "The idiot in the hat who just lost the poker game is my best friend, Toby. He's brilliant but can be a royal ass sometimes," Walter paused when Paige giggled quietly, "but, for the most part, he's good people."

"Walter!" Toby exclaimed a little too loudly. "Long time no see, my man! Almost thought we lost you to the perilous sea of First Class gentlemen!" Toby sprinted up to the inventor and gave him a big hug, ignoring the fact that his friend didn't like unwarranted physical contact. Walter shoved the gambler off him. It was then that Toby noticed the beautiful addition attached to Walter's arm and smirked at his friend. "I see you took my advice, Walt."

Walter rolled his eyes, muttering "Shut up," before unlinking his arm from Paige to lightly push Toby towards an empty table. "Sit."

"But I'm not done with my game yet!"

"You're done. I saw you lose. Now, sit." Walter reiterated, pointing to the chair; Toby heaved an exaggerated sigh before complying.

"You may be a constant buzzkill, but I have to look at the bright side. While you had surfaced to the top of the ship, I found a new lady friend who actually likes my charm. She's even buying me more beer." Toby smiled as he took off his hat and crossed his arms in front of him. "She should be back any minute."

"She?" Walter cocked an eyebrow, and Paige giggled. "I think you've had too much to drink; no woman on Earth could withstand your charm."

"First, you're wrong. I'm a walking, talking piece of meat for the ladies. Second, I'm not drunk; I'm slightly intoxicated, but not nearly enough by my standards. Three, if that's what you say about me, then what does that say about you, Mr. Inventor?" Toby grinned ear to ear. "You have the least amount of charm between the both of us."

"Oh I think he has lots of charm," Paige butted in with a soft smile as she lightly poked Walter's shoulder. The Irish inventor flushed from her compliment, and Toby laughed.

"Walt, she's a keeper," Toby pointed to Paige and beamed widely. "No other woman in the world is ever going to say _that_ about you." Before Walter could manage a rebuttal, Toby's attention was elsewhere as a woman with long, dark hair approached them. "There she is," Toby sighed with a dopey smile. "She's so beautiful… Unlike any woman I've ever met. Plus, she's very brilliant, Walt. Kinda like us."

"Do you even know her name?" Walter asked with a quirked brow.

"Of course. It's—"

"Happy?" Paige interrupted with surprise as the two women exchanged glances. Paige then turned towards Toby. "Happy is your lady friend?"

Walter caught the recognition in Paige's voice, but he couldn't help but ask, "Do you know each other?"

"Sort of," Paige replied as she took a seat down across from Toby's new lady friend. "My family knows her family, and we see each other from time to time."

Happy placed two extra beers on the table. "By the way, I saw the two of you talking to this weird bozo so I brought you some drinks as well."

While Walter didn't take any, Paige picked one up and sipped from it. She scooted closer to Happy and asked, "What're you doing here? Won't you get in trouble if caught down here?"

"No," Happy chuckled as she picked up her glass and took a swig. "My father wouldn't dare step foot down in steerage. And even if he did, I wouldn't care if he found me here or not. This place has cheap, good quality beer. Who is he to stop me from living my life?"

"I guess you're very lucky your father doesn't keep you on a tight leash like my mother does me." Paige sighed before taking another sip from her beer. "Do me a favor and don't tell anyone I was down here tonight, okay?"

"Don't worry. I won't." Happy smashed kegs with Paige and grinned as Toby picked up his hat before slapped it down at the center of the table.

"Don't worry, I won't tell a soul either," Toby slurred and happily took another large gulp of his drink.

"You don't know anybody in First Class," Walter mumbled as he resisted the urge to smack Toby upside the head.

"I know her," Toby pointed to Happy and then added, "And I know _her_."

"My point exactly," Walter shook his head slowly as Paige placed her drink on the table. She grabbed his hand and eagerly pulled him towards the center of the room as he eyed her suspiciously. "W-What're you doing?"

"I want you to dance with me," Paige laughed as she centered herself in front of him and placed one hand on top of his right shoulder and slipped the other into his left hand. Walter, almost naturally, brought his free hand to the small of her back, bringing them incredibly closer.

"I don't know the steps," Walter muttered into her ear, and she giggled as she shook her head slowly.

"Neither do I," Paige bit her lip and smiled.

Walter brought his lips closer to her ear, and his low voice made her shiver. "I'm serious, Paige. I don't dance. I _can't_ dance."

"It's easy," Paige hummed into his ear as she squeezed his hand. "Just move with me, and don't think about it."

Walter gulped audibly, and once the music began, they were off. The two of them stumbled a few times, but as the music continued bouncing off the instruments, both Walter and Paige found the rhythm and danced swiftly together.

Suddenly, Paige had to clutch Walter's shoulder to plead him to stop.

"Is everything all right?"

"Yes," Paige nodded as she bent down to unbuckle her high-heeled shoes. She kicked them off towards Toby before grabbing Walter's arm again. Like silly fools, they plunged back into the dancing crowd and swung faster to the music. Paige had never had so much fun in her life! Surely she looked like a maniac, dancing and swaying to the crazy, obnoxious music, but she didn't care. She didn't care if she was sweaty or if her feet were throbbing from all of the dancing; she absolutely didn't care about anything! Never before had she ever felt so free in her life, and for the first time in many, _many_ years, she felt so alive and so happy.

She didn't want any part of the night to end.

But once the music jolted to an abrupt finish, Walter tugged her towards the table where a drunk Happy was making out with a _very_ drunk Toby. Paige, feeling adventurous and a little cocky, grabbed Toby's unused cigarette, lit it with the flickering flame of a candle, and took a slow drag before stubbing it out. She then picked up her almost forgotten glass of beer and chugged it down quickly, capturing her new friends' undivided attentions.

"What?" Paige cocked an eyebrow and slammed the empty glass onto the table. "You think a first class girl can't drink?" Paige continued to surprise everyone as she picked up Walter's untouched beer keg and chugged it down as droplets of the beverage trickled down her throat. When she finished chugging the whole keg, two men a few feet in front of her started yelling at each other. One punched the other in the face, and then the other man knocked his assailant over.

"Hey!" Paige shouted at them while marching up to the still standing. She frowned. . "You think you're big, tough men just because you can throw punches?"

Toby audibly gulped, Happy smirked, and Walter's jaw dropped at her outburst as she stripped off her stockings and tossed them to the floor. "Let's see you do _this_."

Paige slowly rose her arms, assuming a ballet stance, and lifted herself to the tips of her toes. She stood there for what felt like an eternity as everyone gawked at her incredible control. She then grimaced in pain and instantly dropped down into Walter's arms, sending everyone into fits of laughter.

"I haven't done that in years!"

"With the way your face screwed up, I can't imagine why _anyone_ would do that." Walter grimaced as he helped her to a chair. She giggled a little in response.

"When your mother wants you to be the best in the world, you have no choice but to do some painful things," Paige replied quietly as she grasped her chest. "Being a woman is a pain, sometimes. I bet if I had been born a man, she would let me do anything I pleased." She then covered Walter's hand with hers and asked, "Want to get out of here?"

"And go where?"

Paige shrugged. "On a walk on the lower deck?"

"Sure," Walter grinned. "I'd like that."

A colorful smile found Paige Dineen's lips. "Me too."

* * *

Paige, somewhat tipsy from the beer she drank earlier, held onto Walter for support as they walked along the row of lifeboats just under the starry sky. She chatted happily with Walter as they strolled towards the entrance leading to the First Class, but the closer they neared the doors, the slower they walked. Without warning, Paige released Walter's arm and grabbed a davit. She leaned back as far as she could to gaze at the night sky.

"Isn't it magnificent?" Paige mumbled, her eyes glimmering with starlight as the stars twinkled above. "So grand and endless." She reached for the rail of the ship and leaned against it as Walter stood dangerously close to her. Secretly, though, she wanted him closer. "They're such small people, Walter… my crowd. They think they're giants on the earth, but they're not even dust in God's eye." She paused and sighed quietly. "They live inside this little tiny champagne bubble, and… one day… the bubble will burst."

Walter leaned against the railing next to her and also looked towards the stars. Their pinkies were almost touching, and both of them longed for more contact, but they knew it was impossible and _much_ forbidden.

"You're not one of them, Paige." Walter mumbled distantly as he absentmindedly boldly touched his pinky to hers. "There's been a mistake."

Paige lifted an eyebrow and stared at him in confusion.

"A mistake?"

"Yes," Walter nodded swiftly. "You were mailed to the wrong address."

Paige giggled loudly and rolled her eyes as their shoulders bumped together. "I was, wasn't I?" She slightly angled herself towards him and flashed a loving smile as her eyes found his. Boldly, she grabbed his hand, entwining her fingers with his, and started running away from the lifeboats towards the stern where he had saved her the previous night.

Walter almost didn't recognize himself; never in his life had he been so carefree before. He was always focused on his inventions that he had never given him time to, quote, unquote, have fun. There was just something about Paige that made him like this new vision of himself, and, even though he had just met her, he felt like he had known her his entire lifetime.

"Look!" Paige exclaimed as they stood exactly where they were the night before and pointed to the stars. "A shooting star!"

Walter glanced up at the sky and watched the streak of light whip across the starry darkness. "For centuries, some people associated shooting stars with superstition, and others believed they were conjured from the wrath of their gods. However, in 1807, a fireball exploded over Connecticut, and several meteorites fell from the sky, and a new theory about shooting stars, or, as some call them, "falling stars," emerged, suggesting that shooting stars were nothing more than broken pieces of asteroids and dust, hurling towards Earth."

"It's amazing, isn't it?" Paige muttered in awe as she squeezed his hand while continuing to gaze above.

"What's amazing?"

"How the sky can transform brokenness into something incredibly more beautiful," Paige mumbled softly, unaware of how close Walter was to her. He was standing behind her, with one hand in his pocket, itching to hold her, and the other hand still curled together with Paige's. She suddenly turned towards him and gazed deeply into his dark brown eyes. "Aren't we supposed to make a wish now?"

Walter, though he didn't believe in superstition, grabbed her other hand and tugged her impossibly closer. "And what would you wish for?"

Paige's face suddenly fell, and she immediately stepped away from him. "Something I can't have." A sad smile found her lips as she slipped her hand slowly from his. "I… I should go."

As she turned to leave, Walter reached out and clutched his fingers around her small wrist. Boldly, he approached her from behind and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her as close to him as possible. "Don't… Don't go."

Though her mind protested, Paige sank into his embrace and closed her eyes as he stood between her and the rest of the ship, shielding her from her world of scrutiny. She laced her fingers with his and softly whispered, "I don't want to."

"Then don't… Not yet at least." Walter mumbled into her ear, his low, Irish brogue sending shivers down her spine.

Paige absentmindedly leaned into Walter's embrace and closed her eyes, feeling intoxicated by his warm breath brushing against her neck. Slowly, she spun around in his arms and bit her lower lip as her arms strung over his surprisingly broad shoulders. His arms came around her and rested at the small of her back. Her eyes fluttered open and gazed into his dark brown irises before turning her attention to his light pink lips.

She knew she was about to cross a bridge she shouldn't cross, but she couldn't help herself for wanting Walter in ways she had never wanted Drew, her fiancé. In that moment, she didn't care about anything else; all she wanted was Walter O'Brien. And when his mouth crushed hard against hers, she knew, instantly, that he wanted her too.

* * *

 **WriterFreak001:**

This chapter was easy to revise. Not much was changed other than a small extension to the Waige meeting Quintis scene.


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